How to Get Rid of June Bugs Quickly

7 useful ways to get rid of June bugs with rules of prevention and safety precautions.
By
Phyllis McMahon
Phyllis McMahon
Research Writer
Phyllis teaches English Literature at a local college and loves writing in her free time. She’s also a great cook – her British beef Wellington is something the best res read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Chas Kempf
Chas Kempf
Expert Consultant
Chas works in a professional pest control company and knows all the nuances of this job. Also, he’s a fantastic tennis player and loves to organize BBQ parties for his fam read more
Last updated: September 08, 2023
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If you have a June bug problem, you might be worried about how to get rid of June bugs using home remedies or how to get rid of June bugs in your house. June bugs can be tough to remove from your yard, and it can even be tough to get rid of June bugs on your porch. June bugs love the light, and they are often most noticeable at night when they are drawn to the lights on your porch or near your home.

June bugs can also damage the plants in your garden and yard, which can add to the frustration of having them around. This is an insect that damages lawns during the larvae stage and then causes a variety of different issues when it is an adult beetle. You might be annoyed with your June bug population for a variety of reasons and want to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Identifying the Problem

If you are thinking about how to get rid of June bugs on plants, it is probably because you have already seen signs of their damage in your yard and garden. You might also have been wondering about getting rid of flying June bugs because they are making themselves a nuisance as soon as night falls and your outdoor lights come on. Knowing that you have a June bug problem is probably easier than you might think, and you might already have realized subconsciously that you need to deal with these insects as soon as possible.

Having June bugs in your pool or June bugs on your roses is bad enough. Having June bugs flying into your face when you are trying to enjoy an evening on your porch can be the last straw. If you are not sure yet if June bugs are responsible for the damage you are seeing in your yard, you need to keep reading.

Looks

How to Get Rid of June Bugs Quickly
Reddish-brown June bugs are known for their loud flying sounds and clumsy behavior

June bugs are quite large and are well-known for their clumsy and awkward way of flying. This insect is about ½ inch long or an inch long and reddish-brown in color. They have long legs that can feel sticky when they brush up against you, and their hard outer shells can make loud noises when they bump into things.

The thing that most people remember most about the June bug is their loud and fluttery wings and their hard and sticky bodies blundering into people and things. You might hear June bugs in your yard before they arrive near the lights on your patio as well.

Signs of June Bugs and Their Grubs

How to Get Rid of June Bugs Quickly
June bugs tend to rapidly grow in numbers and leave large holes in your plants, feeding on them

June bugs create clear signs that they are the reason for the damage in your yard. When they are eating your shrubs and trees, they leave large holes in the leaves of the plants. Your lawn might also show signs of larvae by suddenly having brown patches. Like most beetles, June bugs can infest your yard in large numbers and cause significant damage in a very short period of time. It might feel like your yard looked just fine one day and terrible the next. This is because of the number of June bugs that might have hatched in your yard all at once.

Your lawn might have what looks like holes dug into it as well. This can be because moles love the larvae of this beetle and will move in to eat these pests during the night. Having both a June bug and a mole problem can be very frustrating for homeowners.

Causes of Infestation

June bugs are common in the Northern Hemisphere. They actually come from North America, Europe, and Asia, where the climate is similar to the Northern Hemisphere. They love a thick lawn and warm weather with cool nights. If you live in the regions where June bugs are present, you will need to be prepared that these pests might show up in your yard at some point.

These bugs also love thick lawns that feed their larvae, and they will be inclined toward yards that have grapes, beans, roses, and raspberries growing in them. They might also be attracted to corn, walnut, and oak trees.

If you have a lot of light in your yard at night, this can also bring June bugs to your yard. They love to fly around near the light, and you might end up with lots of bugs in your yard if you have a large outdoor space that has many lights surrounding it.

How to Prevent

If you have been wondering how to get rid of June bugs at night as well as how to get rid of June bugs naturally, you will want to take these prevention tips to heart. Prevention is also a really good idea if you don’t want to deal with June bugs in large numbers every season. The earlier that you apply some of these prevention solutions, the more likely it will be that you will be able to keep your yard free of June bugs. Prevention cannot be accessed as an ideal solution late in the season in most cases.

Prevention can also be done by cutting back on the insecticides and preventatives that you are using to discourage natural predators of these insects. You might want to invite back some birds and some other insects that eat June bugs if you want to get some help keeping them away from your lights and from your plants.

Safety Precautions

If you are concerned about getting rid of June bugs with pesticides and chemicals, there are other solutions that you can use to deal with this issue. Natural solutions can also work for other insects, which can be nice if you are dealing with spiders, ants, or other kinds of pests as well. Make sure that you are being cautious about using products that are child and pet safe if you want to be sure that your yard will not be full of chemicals that living things should not be exposed to.

Methods of Dealing with June Bugs

Organic

Diatomaceous earth

How to Get Rid of June Bugs QuicklyThis chemical causes insects to dry out and die because it absorbs the oils and fats that protect the cuticle of the beetle’s exoskeleton. The edges of this chemical are also abrasive, which speeds up the process of breaking down the insect’s exterior layers. This is not an ideal solution if you do not want to have to worry about storing a chemical that should not be ingested by children or pets.

Nematodes

How to Get Rid of June Bugs QuicklyNematodes are a great natural solution for a variety of different insects. These are microscopic soil worms that eat the larvae of all kinds of insects. They are more than happy to eat the larvae of June bugs along with other insects’ grubs. If you are having issues with other insects like Japanese Beetles, you can kill both of these pests with nematodes. These helpers need to be applied early in the season before the peak of summer weather has arrived to be at their peak effectiveness.

Bacillus thuringiensis

How to Get Rid of June Bugs QuicklyThis bacteria is toxic to various insects and not toxic to pets and people. This is a great solution if you are ahead of the game and have your prevention solutions in place early in the season before the warm weather really arrives. Adding these bacteria to the soil in your yard can prevent the grubs of various pests from hatching in the first place.

Essential oils

How to Get Rid of June Bugs QuicklyThere are various essential oils that can deter lots of different insects, including June bugs. This can be a big help if you are dealing with June bugs that are flying around your pool or your deck, or your outdoor lights. Essential oils like rosemary, thyme, citronella, sage, lavender, and peppermint are ideal for this use. Best of all, they do not smell bad, which can be nice when compared with citronella, which does not smell very nice.

Attracting natural predators

How to Get Rid of June Bugs QuicklyThere are some natural predators for this insect that you might want to draw into your yard to help you to manage your June bug problem. Skunks, raccoons, snakes, spiders, birds, frogs, moles, and parasitic wasps will all be happy to help you to deal with this infestation. You might not want to draw in snakes, racoons, or skunks, but some of the other predators that you might be willing to bring into your yard will not impact your yard’s comfort or use as much. This can be the best form of defense against these invading insects and you can combine other deterrents with the help of these predators.

Others

June bug repellents and traps

How to Get Rid of June Bugs QuicklyThere are many kinds of insect traps that can work to trap June bugs. Because this is a flying insect, you might also have luck with one of the best electric fly swatters. You might also want to explore the use of other flying insect traps that can fit a larger bug like the June bug in them. Using a combination of different traps and repellents can be helpful if you are dealing with a large number of June bugs impacting your enjoyment of your yard and outdoor spaces. There are some good examples of traps that will suit your problem in our guide on the best wasp traps.

Insecticides

How to Get Rid of June Bugs QuicklyInsecticides can be the quickest solution for your June bug problem, but they can expose your family and pets to chemicals that you might not want them to have contact with. The most common chemical that is used for killing June bugs is carbaryl trichlorfon, but this might not be something that you want to use in your yard. You will also have less luck killing grubs with this product.

You can make a natural insecticide out of minced garlic or garlic oil that is added to water. You can also add dish soap to this mix. Spraying this on the bad spots in your lawn as well as on the leaves of your plants that are impacted by these bugs can be a great way to keep your plants safe and healthy throughout the June bug season. This DIY mix can be also useful if you have a spider infestation. You can read more about it in our article on what household products kill spiders.

FAQ

How will I know the June bugs are gone?

The first sign that your June bug issue is under control is being able to have lights on the outside without being forced to share them with June bugs. When your lawn starts to grow back and green up, and your plants no longer are full of holes, you will probably be secure in your determination that your June bug issue is over with.

Do June bugs eat roses?

June bugs love roses above many other flowers and other plants. They will often head here first when they move into a yard. This can be really sad for those who have worked hard to grow roses in their yard. Roses do not fare well when damaged severely by insects of various kinds and might not recover until the next season.

Will June bugs eat my garden?

June bugs love to eat various plants, and some of them might be things that you have been growing in your garden. They do not like tomatoes, but they will eat the leaves off of some garden vegetables. They are most attracted to shrubs and roses, but there are some plants that might be grown for food that they will be interested in eating.

What month do June bugs go away?

June bugs are most active between May and June. They are usually gone when the summer is over. You will start to be able to be outside again without issues with your June bugs when the weather starts to cool if you have not put any preventative measures in place in your yard and around your home.

Final Thoughts

June bugs can be a big annoyance for those who like to spend time in their yard at night and who have swimming pools or outdoor seating with lots of outdoor lights. June bugs also love to eat roses and other plants and can ruin your lawn. There are so many reasons that you might not want to have them sharing your yard with you, and you will probably want to know how to get rid of June bugs as soon as possible.

If you have been struggling with June bugs, these tips and tricks will allow you to get your yard back to being comfortable and useful with ease. You might also get the benefit of removing other pests from your yard at the same time, which can be really nice. June bugs are not the only pests that you might want to get rid of, and removing the June bugs from your yard can make everything about your yard more comfortable and enjoyable throughout the warmer time of the season.

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