How To Get Rid of June Beetles

You might be outside enjoying the early signs of summer, nice weather, and evenings on your deck furniture. All is going well…or at least you think. The June Beetles are out, and they are here to destroy your yard and plants. Luckily, there are ways to stop these beetles before they can do damage to your lawn. Get to know the June Beetle and learn how to get rid of them this summer.

What is a June Beetle?

When it comes to June Beetles, many different species fall under the name. Commonly known as scarab beetles, these bugs appear from late May through June. They have the same oval back and pinchers at the front of their body.

June Beetle species include Chafer Beetles, Green June Beetles, Japanese Beetles, and Ten-Lined June Beetles. All these bug species start as a larval form, known as grubs, and appear as adults in late spring. Grubs will be a gray/white color and look like caterpillars about an inch long, curling into a ‘c’ when disturbed.

Both stages can cause extensive damage to your yard. As grubs, they live underground and eat grassroots that can cause them to die. Adult beetles eat leaves of trees, shrubs, plants, and other things they might find appealing in your garden. Needless to say, you don’t want these guys taking up residence on your property.

June Beetles are most active at night and are drawn to light. When winter comes along, they will bury underground and wait for spring to return. Adult female pests will lay their eggs in the late summer and early fall.

Some signs that you may have June Beetles are:

  • Brown patches of grass
  • Skunks and moles digging holes (searching for grubs)
  • Holes in the leaves of your plants

grubs

How to Control June Beetles

Timing is key when it comes to handling June Beetles. Because they stick to a cycle, it’s easy to know how you can stop and get rid of these bugs. Grubs are the easiest to deal with, despite the larger amount of damage they cause, because they’re in the ground and dormant for a season. When you have an adult infestation, that is another story.

For grubs, act in the late winter and early spring. You can use insecticides on your grass, allowing it to penetrate through the soil and to eliminate the grubs. To make the insecticide penetrate the soil more thoroughly, water it into your grass. Using neem oil is another way that you can kill grubs. Safer® Brand Neem Oil not only rids your lawn of grubs, but can also prevent against other insect damage.

If you couldn’t get to the problem early enough, you can also use insecticides on the plants that the beetles are attacking and eating. Besides using a commercial insecticide, using our Safer Brand® Japanese Beetle Trap, you can interrupt and break the mating cycle, eliminating the bugs in your yard. DynaTrap® insect traps can also cover up to an acre, giving your yard full protection while luring in and ridding the pests.

How to Prevent June Beetles

Another way that you can deter beetles from laying eggs in your grass is by keeping your grass longer. Grass that is at least 3 inches will keep grubs from digging into the soil. The shorter the grass, the easier it is for these grubs to cause damage. Make sure that your lawn is thick. In thin and sparse parts of the grass, the grubs are more likely to get into the dirt. Using fertilizer can help thicken parts of your lawn that need help. Watering your lawn deeply can help strengthen the roots and thicken the grass in general.

Predators like snakes, toads, and birds can help keep the number of beetles down in your garden by eating them as meals. By providing birdbaths, shade, and other attractants for these animals, they’ll help your yard face less damage from these insects.

To learn more about grubs and how to kill them, you can check out this article.

Your Pest Defenses

Keeping your backyard and your home bug-free is vital. That’s why at DynaTrap®, it’s our mission to provide products and an arsenal of expert advice to help you protect your home. Sign up for our e-newsletter to stay up to date on new products and exclusive promotions, plus get relevant articles delivered right to your inbox! Visit our Facebook page to ask questions or share your own pest-fighting advice.

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