”The Bug Guy” Explains Population Surge in Creepy Critters, Along With Fireflies

Maybe a green intruder scurrying down your shirt gave you the heebie-jeebies at a barbecue, or an in-law arched an eyebrow—devastatingly—at the state of your grub-damaged lawn. Perhaps instead of every rose having its thorn, every rose has its chomping insect.

These are just some of the potential effects of this summer’s surging beetle mania. According to entomology Professor Mike Raupp, aka “The Bug Guy,” bumper crops of scarab beetles, including chafers, Japanese beetles, Asiatic garden beetles and May/June beetles, are scuttling in high numbers across our region.

Stand at the corner of 14th Street and Constitution Avenue in downtown D.C. long enough—trust us, it won’t be long at all—and you’ll notice tourist after tourist, phone camera at the ready, walking up a little path outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

For the second year in a row, we are happy to partner with RecWell in their Sizzlin Summer Series. Join us for our walks and tours throughout the summer to enjoy our campus and learn more about our trees, gardens, and landscapes!

Take a tour with us for National Public Gardens Week! All this week on campus, we are offering tours of some of the highlights of our collections. See what we have to offer and register for a tour today!