What to Do About June Bugs in the Garden

Late spring or early summer is the season for clumsy beetles bumping into lights or hovering around plants, otherwise known as June bugs.

They show up every year in many gardens across North America, especially as temperatures warm up toward the beginning of summer, so the question is: Do I need to worry about June bugs in my garden? The short answer is: sometimes, but not usually.

In this post, we’ll walk through what June bugs actually are, how to tell if they’re causing real issues in your garden, and what to do about them if they are. Most importantly, you’ll also learn when you can simply leave them alone and let nature do its thing. Let’s get into it.

 

What June Bugs Are and Whether They’re a Problem

June bugs are a type of beetle that appear seasonally in late spring and early summer. You might hear them called different names depending on where you live, like may beetles or green June beetles. They have two very different life stages. The adult beetles are the ones you usually notice first. They’re attracted to lights at night, fly in a clumsy way, and may nibble on leaves, but in most gardens they don’t cause significant damage.

The real issue, if there is one, happens below the surface. Their larvae, often called white grubs, live in the soil and feed on plant roots and grass roots. When populations are high, this can lead to weakened plants or patchy lawns.

How to Identify June Bugs in Your Garden

In the garden, adult June bugs sometimes leave small, irregular holes in leaves, but this is usually minor. 

Larvae, also known as grubs, are easier to identify because they are soft, white, C-shaped larvae that live underground and feed on plant roots. They can cause brown patches in grass, plants that suddenly look weak or wilted for no clear reason, and may attract animals like birds, skunks, or raccoons that dig into the soil looking for them.

What to Do About June Bugs in the Adults and Larvae Stages

Dealing with adult June bugs

Control is simple for adult June bugs. Start by reducing what attracts them. Outdoor lights are a big draw, so turning off or limiting porch lights at night can make a noticeable difference. They are also slow, so they’re easy to remove by hand if they sneak indoors.

Dealing with larvae (white grubs)

Grubs, or larvae, are the most worrying stage. Having well-balanced soil is the first step in helping prevent larvae from becoming a problem. The next step is to introduce natural solutions such as beneficial nematodes, microscopic organisms that target soil-dwelling pests without harming your garden. Another option is milky spores, which can help reduce grub populations over time in some regions.

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to assume that seeing June bugs means something is wrong in your garden, but that’s usually not the case. They’re part of a natural seasonal cycle, especially in warmer climates, and most gardens see them every year without any long-term issues. It’s still important to keep an observant eye and intervene if things escalate, but sometimes the best approach really is just observation rather than intervention.