Japanese beetles lunching on area landscaping

They're not called John, Paul, George and Ringo, but they're becoming household names.

Japanese beetles - the insects, not a Fab Four tribute band from Tokyo - have created a buggish invasion in yards across Maryland.

"We're in the heart of the season for these guys," said Ned Brooks, owner of Relms Landscaping in Annapolis. "They're having a grand old time."

The copper and green offenders have been spotted in large numbers, chewing on everything from basil in the garden to linden trees. They're wreaking havoc along Interstate 97, where the foliage has turned brown and skeletal.

While the results aren't pretty and...