I am trying to find information on june bugs and how to get rid of them. We need lights on at night, so turning them off is not an option.
By rose tindall from Glen Carbon, IL
Just in case you didn't know, June bugs are also called Japanese beetles, and they start out as grubs. If you have lots of grubs, you might also have moles. You can use GrubX to help with the June bug situation in the future.
As for the June bugs, there are insecticides you can use, but they also kill beneficial insects. You can purchase beetle traps from Walmart or Home Depot, but there are problems with using the traps. They attract beetles, so beetles come from far and wide to get to your trap. Many people say their June bugs increased significantly once they started using the traps. Some people believe the secret is to put the bag far from their house, like in your neighbor's yard.
The bags must be replaced frequently, once a week is best because although the bait does attract the beetles, the smell of lots of dead and dying beetles will dissuade more beetles from entering the trap. Once the bag is replaced, the number of beetles entering the trap will increase dramatically. Another reason to replace the bag often is to control flies, which are attracted to dead bugs. Be sure to keep the traps out of reach of possums, raccoons and skunks, who all appreciate a meal of dead bugs.
June bugs and Japanese beetles are two different insects. June bugs are very annoying. Try to keep the lighting away from any doors but close enough to allow sufficient lighting to see in the dark.
Junebugs do not usually appear until July.....so dunno why they are called Junebugs ! ha There is another bug that is green and resembles the Junebug. It is the Japanese Beetle. They are bad for eating the leaves on your roses, and other plants. They are a real pest! The way to get rid of the Japanese Beetle is to kill them while they are still grubs. There is a product called "Milky Spore" which is applied to your yard.You apply it this year, and it will kill the grubs before they can grow up into beetles for next summer.
Another thing about those grubs. We had a terrible problem with skunks. They loved eating the grubs, and would dig little slits in the soil to get the grubs. The skunks would spray the dog when we let her out in the yard. And sprayed the neighbors cats too. So the smell was often horrific at times. The skunks nested somewhere nearby too.So there was always a bunch of skunks.
The milky spore took care of the grubs, which eliminated the "midnight snack" for the skunks. So the skunks have moved on. But you will have to ask your neighbors to treat their yard with the milky spore too. Otherwise there will still be Japanese Beetles, and skunks.
