Hercules Versus the Japanese Beetle

Hercules examining a Japanese beetle while he decides what to do with it

Being a just puppy, Hercules is experiencing his first end of summer and the invasion of Japanese beetles that comes with it.

While being shiny and green makes them interesting to look at, Japanese beetles are not native to America and are a pest that does all kinds of damage to trees and crops here.

Hercules, being a just Dachshund, is not aware of the invasive nature of the beetle. He just knows they’re big, shiny, and make a loud buzzing noise, which means they’re worth hunting.

This particular beetle made the mistake of landing in front of Herc who had no intention of letting the bug leave without him checking it for scent, flavor, and durability.

The beetle’s scent didn’t set off any alarm bells for young Herc, so he decided to give it a bit of a nibble. It turns out that Hercules didn’t like the flavor. Or maybe he just didn’t like the way its crawly legs felt on his tongue, because he quickly spat it out.

As for durability, it kind of fell apart after a couple of playful swipes of a paw. Dachshunds just aren’t as delicate with their handling as, say, one of our cats, who can toss a beetle about for a good 20 minutes before doing it in.

Hercules quickly lost interest in the bug after it stopped moving and went to look for something better. The beetle, on the other hand, became chicken food.

It seems the hens are just fine with the taste of a crunchy bug snack.