Stay with me, as I’ll be giving you tips on how to get rid of June bugs on porch, in gardens and inside apartments.
It takes a lot of hard work to maintain a home garden, so you can only imagine how heartbreaking it would be for June bugs to destroy the plants you have worked so hard to care for.
Not to worry, these beetles can be removed using several methods.
Facts About June Bugs
There are various species of June bugs, all of which are scarab beetles.
These include the ten-lined June beetle, green June beetle, chaffer beetle, and the Japanese beetle. They pretty much look the same, except for a few minor differences.
They all have oval-shaped backs and two pincers in the front which they feed with.
Their months of highest activity are May and June, and they are mainly outdoor/garden insects.
They cause a lot of damage to garden plants by feeding vigorously on their leaves. They also cause damage to lawn grass, and it is evident by large brown areas on the lawn.
June bugs are harmless to humans. They do not bite or sting, neither do they spread any form of diseases.
Getting Rid Of June Bugs In House – 4 Control Methods
The damage June bugs can to your garden can undo years of plant training. For this reason, they need to be eliminated as soon as they are spotted.
Follow the tips below to get rid of June bugs in your garden.
June Bug Trap
June bugs are of a decent size, which makes them pretty easy to trap. You can build several traps to catch June bugs.
One of such traps is a vegetable oil trap. It is very simple to set up and almost anyone can do it. All you’ll need is a spacious container, like a glass jar or a bucket, some oil, and white light.
Fix a small, battery-powered light at the top of the container and pour some oil in it. The oil should be about 2 or inches high above the base of the container.
Place the container close to the affected trees, and around the other plants around the garden. June bugs are attracted to white light, especially at night, so they would most likely be drawn close to it.
Make sure the container is left open so they can gain entry. Once they spot the white light at night, they’ll be drawn close to it and can creep into the container, thanks to the smell of the vegetable oil. Sadly for them, they won’t be able to fly back out as they will be stuck in the oil.
The June bugs will eventually suffocate and die inside the container.
Place as many vegetable oil traps as required around the garden. The more spread out the traps are, they more June bugs you can catch.
Check on the containers in the morning to see how many June bugs you were able to trap. If the containers are full, pick out the dead June bugs by hand and place them in an empty jar. If making contact with the bugs irritate you, then you can use a spoon to scoop them out.
After the bugs have been removed from the containers, you can place them back in their former positions to catch more.
Over time, the June bug population will be reduced. You can be sure of this when you find that the containers remain empty or catch a lesser amount of June bugs each day.
Please take note, you should use only organic oil so you don’t harm your soil or plants in the event of an accidental spill. Vegetable oil is very safe to use.
You can also use glue traps to catch them. They are simple traps made with cardboard and glue. The glue is applied on one side of the trap, while the other side remains dry.
These traps are sold in pest control stores so you can simply buy as many as you would need.
Hang the glue traps along the branches of the affected plants. You can also hang them around the branches of the unaffected ones, in case the bugs look to spread over.
As the bugs fly from leaf to leaf, chances are they will make contact with the glue traps and be stuck. All you will need to do afterward is pick them out and dispose of them.
To increase your chances of drawing them close to the glue traps, you can have some lights installed near the trees and place the glue traps right under the lamps. Since they are already attracted to the lights, there will be higher chances of them making contact with the board.
Use Natural Predators
There are quite a few animals that love to feast on June bugs. These animals can help you rid your garden of June bugs, all you have to do is invite them in, or bring them in yourself.
These animals include small lizards, frogs, toads, and certain species of birds.
Some of these animals are sold in stores, so you can buy as many as you see fit and simply place them in your garden.
As for the bird species that eat June bugs, you may not need to buy them. You can lure them in by scattering bird seeds around your garden. As they fly down to eat the seeds, they will come across June bugs and eat them up too.
The only problem with this method is that the predators can eat beneficial insects too. However, if the predators can rid your garden of the pests, then it’s job done all the same.
The major advantage of this method is that you are allowing nature to take its course. The predators will not damage your vegetation, neither will they harm the environment.
All they will do is eat the bugs, and all you will have to do henceforth is wait for the June bug population to be reduced.
Use Pesticides
Pesticides can be used to kill the June bugs in your garden. Be advised to use organic pesticides so there will be no harm done to your garden plants. Many brands are being sold, so you can get good recommendations from the pest control shop you visit.
If you’re using a powdery pesticide, be sure to scatter the powder evenly across your garden floor. Afterward, sprinkle some water on it so that it can sink into the soil.
Female June bugs lay their eggs just below the soil surface so the pesticide will kill them.
A neem oil-based pesticide is very ideal. It kills not just June bugs, but many other insect pests as well.
Apply the neem oil pesticide on all your garden plants, both the affected and unaffected ones. As the bugs eat the leaves, they will ingest the neem oil pesticide as well.
This will attack their growth hormones and kill their ability to feed or lay eggs. In a matter of time, the June bug population will be reduced and eliminated.
Another advantage of using a neem oil pesticide is that it is purely organic and will not harm or kill the plants you applied it on.
You can also make your organic pesticide using some very common ingredients. Garlic and cayenne pepper is among the most common of them all.
Get as many cloves of garlic as you will need to cover the plants in your garden, the same as the cayenne pepper. Grind them in a container and add some water. Stir properly so that it is well mixed.
Get a spray bottle and fill it up with the garlic and cayenne pepper mixture, then go around your garden and spray it on the affected plants. Garlic and cayenne pepper combination will cause all sorts of irritation to the bugs and they will leave.
It can also act as a repellant to keep the bugs away for the time being.
Brighten The Lights
As I mentioned earlier, June bugs are attracted to lights. The brighter the lights, the more attracted they are to it. But what many people don’t know is that the lights also kill the bugs!
In many instances, June bugs have been found lying dead under the lights the next morning after they have gathered around the lights at night. Overexposure to bright light seems to “fry” them and leave them dried up.
Having this in mind, you can install some bright lights around your garden area. You can have some around your porch area too, in case they decide to approach your home.
The lights you install should be adjustable, so you can increase or reduce the brightness.
At night, the June bugs will gather around your lights, so you can increase the brightness to improve your chances of having them killed.
Conclusion
June bugs are harmless to humans but very destructive to plants. Follow the tips in this article to get rid of them.
I trust the information provided here on how to get rid of June bugs has been helpful.
Take care!