How to Get Rid of June Bugs: 6 Easy Methods

Along with warm weather and longer days, summer is also time for an increase in the amount of insects outdoors, specifically beetles or June bugs. You'll want to know to get rid of June bugs and for good reason. While the beetles don't cause any harm to people or wildlife, it's a different matter when it comes to a lawn or landscape.

Adult flying beetles feed on the leaves and stems causing some damage, but the real problem is the immature larval phase of these insects, better known as white grubs. Grubs wreak serious damage on the roots of lawn turfgrasses and other plants. In addition to P. longispina, a number of other common beetles produce white grubs in their larval stage, including Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica). Fortunately, all of these beetles can be handled in much the same way.

What Are June Bugs?

June bugs (also known as June beetles or May bugs in some areas) are the adult phase of the various species of insects in the Phyllophaga genus. The insect most associated with the common name of "June bug" is Phyllophaga longispina, although there are several other species also known by that name.

Identifying June Bugs

These beetles are easily recognizable: 1/2- to 1-inch-long reddish-brown bugs with wings that form a hard shell when the insect isn't in flight. The Japanese beetle and figeater beetle are both commonly mistaken for a June bug.

You can primarily tell these species apart by appearance and habitat: June bugs are typically medium brown or bright green and native to the Eastern United States, while bright-green figeater beetles are found in the Southwest (and are also less destructive to plants. Japanese beetles are much smaller in size than June beetles, with a mix of iridescent copper and green coloring. 

What Months Are June Bugs Most Active?

Flying adult June bugs are typically inactive during the day, but they do fly around at night starting in May. Flying June bugs go away around June or July after laying their eggs. To get rid of June bugs at night, switch your light fixtures to LED or use special bug lights to deter them.

What Attracts June Bugs?

June bugs will be more prevalent if your lawn has a heavy infestation of grubs, and the grubs themselves are more prevalent on lawns thick with thatch. They can also be more prevalent in a landscape where lots of chemicals are used. The heavy use of surface pesticides can eliminate natural predators of June bugs and their larvae, and heavy applications of fertilizers make for very dense root systems that provide a banquet for grubs.

The Life Cycle of a June Bug

Depending on the species, the life cycle of a June bug from egg to grub to pupa to adult can take one to three years. It begins when adult June bugs lay 75 to 100 eggs underground in early to midsummer. Larvae emerge from the eggs after 18 days and become grubs, the most damaging phase to your lawn.

Depending on the species, the grubs can spend one to three years underground, chewing plant roots. During the winter, grubs burrow deeper into the soil and hibernate before becoming active again in the spring.

The grubs form pupae that hatch into new adult beetles the following spring as the cycle repeats itself. When you see flying adult beetles, the cycle of eggs and root-destroying grubs follow.

Signs of June Bugs and Their Grubs

Several red flags indicate you may have a problem either with adult June bugs or their larvae:

• You witness large flying beetles on summer evenings after dark. June bugs are nocturnal insects, and they become active after the sun sets on summer evenings.
• You have spreading brown patches on your lawn. This is a sign that underground grubs are likely feeding on the roots of turfgrass plants. Large patches of dying grass may be so loosened from the severed roots that you can lift them up by hand.
• Small holes are being dug in your lawn overnight. These holes are often made by skunks, raccoons, or other carnivorous animals searching for grubs to eat. In some regions, armadillos are prodigious eaters of grubs.
• You have a mole problem. Moles also eat grubs, so, if you have issues with moles, the source of it may be a grub problem.
• Plant leaves have ragged holes. The adult beetles will feed on above-ground plants. Japanese beetle damage can be especially harmful.

Monitor your landscape for such signs, and follow up upon their detection by confirming the presence of these insects. For confirmation that grubs are present, simply dig up some sod in your lawn, and inspect the soil for grayish-white, caterpillar-like bugs that curl up into a "C" shape when disturbed. For confirmation that the adults are present, walk your landscape faithfully, and inspect the leaves of your plants for beetles.

6 Ways to Get Rid of June Bugs

Make an Adult June Bug Trap

Not all June bug infestations are regarded as major enough to require serious remedies. Experts suggest that an otherwise healthy lawn can support as many as five to 10 grubs per square foot—the number of grubs will be evident if you dig up a 1-square-foot patch of turf.

This number of grubs indicates you will probably face a few adult beetles cruising around the nighttime landscape come the following summer. But you can get rid of adult June bugs naturally by trapping them with a mixture of 1/2 cup molasses and 1/2 cup water placed in a narrow-necked container. There are also a variety of commercial beetle traps available for purchase that do much the same thing: lure and trap beetles in a container holding a sweet concoction.

Trapping adults will stop the reproduction cycle. But if you have larger numbers of grubs, trapping adults won't be sufficient to control the population.

Apply Beneficial Nematodes

Nematodes are microscopic soil worms that feed on the larvae of various insects. They are increasingly popular as a natural, non-toxic control for various damaging pests. There are many species of nematodes, but for lawn grubs, choose a species such as Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, which will also control Japanese beetle grubs. Nematodes should be applied when the grubs are active and present; in most regions, midsummer to late summer is the ideal time. If applied too early or too late, the application will be wasted.

Mix the nematodes with a garden sprayer, and then apply to a wet lawn in the evening. Immediately water the nematodes thoroughly so the solution drains down into the soil.

You may need several applications over two or three years to fully control grubs and the subsequent June bugs, but, used correctly, nematodes are a very good control measure.

Use Milky Spores

Another grub-control measure considered to be organic is milky spores, a bacterium that can be effective at controlling many types of grub beetles, including Japanese beetles. It depends on soil that is fairly warm, however, so it may not be the best choice for northern climates.

Fall is considered a good time for application since the grubs are usually fairly close to the surface at this time. Milky spores will not have much success if applied in the spring and summer or when the soil is too dry.

Milky spores are mixed with water, applied with a sprayer or as a granular powder, and then watered thoroughly. It may take several years of repeated treatment to bring severe infestations under control.

Spray a Curative Insecticide in September

Although it's always better to avoid chemicals and choose organic insecticides if possible, a serious grub and June bug infestation is one case in which insecticides may be necessary if you want to save your lawn. The fastest and most effective chemical remedy is to apply a product that contains carbaryl or trichlorfon in September. These are contact chemicals that will kill grubs and prevent them from pupating into adults. And, in September, the grubs are still close enough to the surface to be killed by the insecticide.

These are known as curative chemicals rather than preventative since they will kill the insects in all their life cycle phases. Applied in September, these insecticides will kill as many as 80 percent of the grubs, thereby greatly reducing the following year's June bug emergence.

Make sure to water in these chemicals thoroughly. Toxicity to humans and most animals is moderate but well documented. Carbaryl is toxic to fish, so avoid applying it where run-off to lakes and rivers is possible. Trichlorfon in large concentrations is a central nervous system stimulant and should be used cautiously. Immediate watering will remove the chemical from the surface and reduce the hazard.

Try a Preventive Insecticide in June or July

Another option is to apply an insecticide containing imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, or chlorantraniliprole in early to midsummer. However, be aware that these are preventive insecticides that kill only the newly hatched grubs. They will not kill mature grubs, eggs, pupae, or burrowing beetles. The timing is quite critical with these products; the effectiveness is largely lost if they are applied too early or too late.

Encourage Natural Predators

A landscape that is friendly to birds and bats will also help remove and keep June bugs at bay. Larger birds will eat adult June beetles, and some species may dig up and eat the grubs. Large bats are nocturnal feeders that often consume June bugs. The presence of small predatory creatures such as toads and snakes can help control June bugs.

How to Prevent June Bugs

Preventing June bugs is largely a matter of controlling the white grubs under the surface of lawns and gardens. Here are some tips:

• Reduce your use of fertilizers and spray chemicals to help increase the number of natural predators that will kill grubs.
• Regular lawn dethatching may also help reduce lawn grub populations.
  
• Keep a clean porch and lawn that is void of food crumbs, weeds, and water deposits.
• Plant tomatoes, as tomato plant leaves help keep the bugs away.