June bugs can be a pain in the neck if you do not know how to deal with them properly. They can mess up your garden and lawn pretty badly, as well as be generally annoying to your living space. Read this article to learn how to get rid of June bugs permanently!
How To Get Rid Of June Bugs? – 5 Simple Steps!
Pick The Correct Timing
Attacking when the bugs are still grubs is the first answer to how to get rid of June bugs before they even exist. Head out to your lawn and take notice of the brown patches, as it can be the sign of June bug larvae living underneath the surface. They feed on the roots of your grass, so it is no surprise that the spot they live underneath looks a bit less lively than usual.
Specifically, digging up these patches to check if the June bugs are hidden inside. When you dig these brown patches up, you will be able to see gray or white caterpillar-like creatures, and touching them will make them curl into a crescent shape.
Another sign of an infestation is an invasion of moles or skunks, as these animals tend to dig up holes in your lawn to find grubs to snack on at night. Therefore, if you catch them breaking into your yard, it might indicate that something else is about to use your own lawn as their food! That is when you need to get to learn how to get rid of June bugs.
To keep these pests away, you will need to treat the soil of your yard. Grubs tend to stay in the soil from summer until fall, so a light spray of insecticide or pesticide within those times every two weeks should be able to prevent the soil from nursing June bug larvae.
If you live with children or pets, having fumes on your lawn will negatively affect their health. Thus, try using microscopic worms called nematodes instead, as they are widely available in any garden shops and extremely effective at tackling grub infestation.
Using Bacillus thuringiensis is another answer to how to get rid of June bugs’ babies effectively. In detail, this is a beneficial bacteria that can wipe out a colony of garden pests very quickly. You can ask garden store employees for a bottle of “Bt,” and they will likely hand you a bottle of concentration or powder. Simply apply the product directly to plants and turf.
Build Your Homemade Traps
If you arrive at this article too late, ad now has adult June bugs festering in your garden, you will need to build a June bug trap. In particular, prepare a big jar, some water, and molasses to lure bugs in and keep them in their place.
Here’s how to get rid of June bugs using this trap:
- First, fill the jar with one-half cup of molasses and equal parts hot water.
- Then, cover the jar tightly and shake well until the two liquids are combined.
- Open the jar and bury it underneath the plants that the bugs like to feast on, snake sure that only the jar’s neck is above the soil.
- Check this trap every morning, and if any beetles are drowned in the molasses mixture, you should get rid of them. When the molasses has gone low, fill the container once more.
Use Insecticide
Aside from treating the soil with insecticide to deal with grubs, you can also spray it directly on the plants to avoid having to deal with brown leaves and holes on your flower petals. Be sure to stop children and pets from going near the plants after that, or they will be affected by the fumes of your insecticide.
Use Natural Predators
The June bug has many enemies in the wild. Thus, if you don’t want to use chemicals, you can involve animals such as Insect-eating birds, toads, and snakes to help you do the task. All you have to do is encourage them to pay a visit to your garden!
To be more specific, provide them with water (a birdbath for birds and a dish of water for toads and snakes) and a safe hiding corner. If you already have tall trees and shrubs, birds can definitely hide in there until they can feast again. On the other hand, toads, and snakes like cool and shady spots to hide from the terrible sunlight, so you can set up a little terracotta pot in your garden!
Adjust Your Lawn Accordingly
Avoid mowing your lawn too short; June bugs like to lay their eggs in short grass. Indeed, keeping your lawn clippings at a reasonable range is a great way to prevent the bugs from coming at all!
Outro:
Now you know how to get rid of June bugs! Overall, the best method is to tackle them while they are still grubs, or you can use traps, insecticide, and their natural enemies. Do not forget to avoid mowing your grass too short as well! We wish you luck in your future endeavors!
