Without question, spring is my favorite time of the year. There’s nothing like the daily growth, warm temperatures, and wonderful sunshine. It was particularly lovely growing up in Ohio. With all of the moisture back there, it’s always insanely green. You could literally watch the grass grow, and listen to the woods and fields come alive with birds, frogs, and insects. But, I must say, I don’t miss the June bugs.

Adult June bugs emerge in the late spring once the weather stays warm, and often congregate like moths around lights. They would nearly cover the screen on the porch door sometimes, but what was truly awful was when the cats (we had a fair number of them spaying and neutering wasn’t big in the family budget) would jump up on the screen, grab one, jump to the floor and crunch it down. And boy did those big old beetles crunch. Gross!

I might sound like an old codger, but when I was growing up we didnt have air conditioning so we slept with the windows open. June bugs make a lot of noise so if one was outside near the screen; it was a tough night getting to sleep. And if one managed to find its way into the bedroom, it was going to be a very long night.

Identifying June Bugs

June bugs are a type of scarab beetle with a hard shell. The adults are a fair size, usually about an inch long and can be a dark brown to green. The adults eat leaves on trees and other plants, but the real damage is when the females burrow several inches into the lawn to lay eggs, and the grubs wreak havoc on the roots of plants.

When I think of grubs in the lawn, June bugs are what first comes to mind. They’re white with a dark head, nearly an inch long and are often found in a comma like shape. When they are a lot of them, you’ll notice large, dead patches in your lawn as they chew through the roots. If you can peel it back like an old carpet, the June bugs are to blame.

Lawns aren’t the only choice on the menu. They’ll eat through root vegetables, such as carrots, and the roots of pretty much anything you have in your garden.

The grubs also attract birds and animals that feed upon them. Birds are typically a welcomed addition since they do a fine job of picking off the grubs, but some animals, such as skunks, do as much damage (if not more) than the pest. They’ll tear up the lawn trying to get at the protein rich grubs and can really make a mess of things.

Controlling Grubs

You have several options for control. Milky Spore is a bacterium (Bacillus popillea- Dutky) thats been used for decades. The grubs eat the bacterium, which eventually kills it. Then when the grub decomposes it releases more spores into the soil for the next generation. Milky Spore is dusted over the lawn and watered in for 30 minutes. Some people do it once a year; Ive heard other reports where one treatment lasted for several seasons.

Beneficial nematodes can help keep the numbers in check if you dont have a terrible problem with them. And there are several chemical compounds that will really do the job. Look for anything targeting lawn grubs and you should be good. Just be sure to read the labels so it stays safe for kids and pets to use the area after treatment.

The photo is copyright lnzxy via istock.