Caleb aged 18, noticed that the leaves of his rose plants that he loved so much were becoming skeletal. When he looked carefully, he was horrified to see that the culprits were beetles about ½-inch long. Caleb was doing IT at the university.
The beetles had long legs, were covered with a fine layer of hair on their thorax, and were beautifully clothed in metallic a blue-green suit with bronze wing covers.
“Mom, beetles have eaten up my rose flowers," Caleb announced, tears streaming down in his eyes. "Why are they are attacking my flower garden?"
“I am sorry Caleb,” his mom said sympathetically. “Here is an insecticide can, go and kill them.”
“No mother,” Caleb replied, “I want to interview one of them and find out why they do it.”
“How will you do that?” said the mother. “They don’t talk.”
“If I don’t talk to them, they will continue their deadly mission and destroy my flower garden,” replied Caleb.
Caleb switched on his laptop and did research. He was sad, angry and desperate. He found that the little invaders were called Japanese beetles and would be gone by the end of summer, and would return after a year.
Caleb was comforted a bit when he found out that the beetles would not entirely destroy his plants, but would inflict severe damage. Nevertheless, he wanted no one near his roses. He was determined to interview the beetles.
Caleb researched insect communication every evening after school. He was determined to develop an App to decipher the beetle’s language.
Caleb discovered that beetles communicate with other beetles via sounds, vibrations, and chemicals. They make noises by rubbing their legs on their bodies or scraping their mouth parts together.
After eight months, the App was ready. Caleb tested the app on other types of beetles in his garden and waited for next summer when the Japanese beetles would return.
“Why do you eat my bushes?” Caleb asked one of the Japanese beetles.
“Rose flower petals are food,” said the beetle. “They are very delicious.”
“Go away, you are damaging my crops,” Caleb shouted.
"Food, food delicious!" said the beetle.
"Are you female or male?" asked Caleb sarcastically.
"I am female and ready to mate. Can you help me? We mate during summer and die after laying our eggs. The eggs hatch towards spring and the larvae pupate in early summer.”
Caleb took that as an insult. He was angry: "How can you ask me to do such a thing? Just get out of my garden, or I will crush you."
“I don’t care!” the beetle shouted back. Caleb was taken aback by the calmness in the beetle’s voice. “I live only for about two months and die. You can go ahead and murder me, but we will not go out of your garden.”
Caleb picked up a stone and hauled it at the beetle, crashing it. He regretted his cruelty against animals and prayed to his god for forgiveness. He realized that beetles don’t understand life and death. They are designed to propagate their kind during the brief period they stay alive.