What! No Beetles Yet?

The Rose of Sharons, the big bushes or small trees that are also known as Hibiscus and also Althea, have started blooming. Whenever I see that, I know that the legions of Japanese beetles can't be far behind and in fact may already be trying to reduce the beautiful blossoms three or even four inches across to ragged little droplets of leftover color. So it's a miracle this year -- so far -- to see the Rose of Sharon blooms with not one hole eaten in them or any beetles deep in each flower, huddled against the bases of the antlers and ready to get on with their wholesale wrecking work.

What is happening? Is it too early to look for them? Last year was a miracle, too. The beetles arrived but they were late and never reached their usual huge numbers, but I think that at least a few had arrived by this time. Was last winter too tough for them? Or have the same voles that made me put all my bearded irsies in pots instead of it in the ground been responsible? But I think of voles as being vegetarians and not underground eaters of the beetle grubs, as moles are.

Anyway I never thought I'd see the Rose of Sharons being able to do their thing as well as they are doing now, and I wish I knew what to thank.