How To Get Rid Of June Bugs To Prevent Future Damage To Your Lawn

If your lawn is looking a little sad or sparse this year, June bugs may be to blame. These beetles emerge from the soil in spring or early summer, earning the common name of May or June bugs. “June bugs are a type of scarab beetle, with several species found in the Southeast,” says Shimat V. Joseph, PhD, associate professor of turfgrass and ornamentals, department of entomology, at the University of Georgia. “They release pheromones for mating so you’ll typically see them congregating on the side of a building, often near a light.”

The beetles feed on a variety of deciduous plants, but the grubs usually are the biggest issue for homeowners. “They feed on the roots of turfgrasses,” says Joseph. “In large numbers, they can damage your grass.” In late fall and winter, you also may see lawn damage from animals, such as skunks, raccoons, crows, and hogs, rooting around in your turf looking for the grubs.

Identifying June Bugs

June bugs are about ½ long, with fat, oval, brownish bodies and long legs. After mating, the female lays eggs in the soil in spring and early summer. These hatch in a few weeks and develop into larvae, or white C-shaped grubs. These grubs feed on grass roots, overwintering to resume feeding in the spring.  

Another common species, the Green June bug, is velvet green with metallic bonze and green undersides. This type of June bug is a 2-inch-large grub that actually causes its damage by moving through the soil in its different life stages.

Turf damage from June bugs often appears as white or yellow patches, which may coalesce into one big area, if June bugs are present in large enough numbers. You may first notice the damage in mid to late summer, though it can progress throughout the year, says Joseph.

Damage from many turf diseases and other insects such as chinch bugs and billbugs looks similar, so the cause may always not be clear, says Joseph. But you can sample for white grubs. If the soil is dry, irrigate the day before you plan to dig to move the grubs near the surface of your lawn. Then use a sharp knife or shovel to cut into the turf on three sides of a one-square-foot area, rolling back the sod and sifting through the top few inches of soil.

While a few grubs always are present, if you have 15 to 30 grubs per square foot of area, it’s recommended to treat. Many other turf-destroying grubs, such as Japanese beetles and chafers, also are large white grubs. But you don’t have to identify the exact type of grub you’re dealing with because they’re all managed the same way. “A grub is a grub,” says Joseph.

Controlling June Bugs

Follow these tips for managing and preventing future June bug damage:

• Maintain healthy turf. “Healthy grass can tolerate some damage and will outgrow it,” says Joseph. That means mowing at the correct height for your species of grass, and fertilizing and irrigating properly.
• Consider the use of biological pesticides. Products such as entopathogenic nematodes (Hetrorhabditis) and beneficial fungi (BT galleriae, Metarhizium brunneum) don’t provide an instant kill, but they may offer some control for grubs, says Joseph. Apply in the early morning or late afternoon, and water the products into your lawn.
• Use insecticides for prevention and control. When you see June bug activity in the spring, you can make a preventive application of grub control because the eggs and first few stages of the life cycle are easier to kill. “As the grubs grow bigger, they move lower and lower in the soil, so they’re more difficult to kill,” says Joseph. But later in the season, you can apply curative grub control until about August. Look for products that contain imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, chloratraniliprole, or tetraniliprole. Follow the label instructions for all product usage.
• Pay attention next year. If June bugs are a perpetual issue in your lawn, watch for adult June bugs emerging next spring, says Joseph. Then apply insecticides, as needed, in May or June, before the eggs have a chance to hatch.