Sasha CampbellHave you found June bugs swarming and crawling around your outdoor lights? If so, you know that these bugs can be quite annoying.
Unfortunately, these critters don’t just buzz and swarm—they can also damage garden plants.
This article will discuss the best natural methods to control June bugs outside and in the house. We’ll cover some home remedies and natural commercial products that can help keep them away from your property.
Identification
June bugs are also called May bugs. They commonly appear throughout North and South America at the end of spring or at the start of summer.
These bugs are attracted to bright light, so you may see them flying around porch lights or street lamps at night. While they don’t bite humans, adult bugs and grubs can cause damage to your crops [1].
How to Get Rid of June Bugs Naturally
These are the best home remedies and natural methods we could think of. We hope one or more works for you.
1. Hand-Picking
This is probably the least pleasant option. It requires you to touch an annoying bug. However, it may be the most cost-effective method.
To catch and kill June bugs, you need only a pair of gloves and a container of soapy water. Put on your gloves and carefully capture the bugs by hand.
Next, drop them in some soapy water. Doing so will help ensure that they won’t come back.
If you want to take this approach, do it at night since June bugs are most active after dark.
Look for them on lights and windowsills. They may also be found in vegetation around your home, such as hedges and trees, where they tend to congregate.
2. Natural Predators
Another great natural way to keep June bugs away is to introduce their natural predators. Some birds will go after these pests.
Frogs, snakes, skunks, lizards, and raccoons also prey on June bugs. And parasitic wasps feed on June bug grubs damaging your lawn and grass.
3. Molasses Trap
Make a simple DIY June bug trap with molasses, water, and an old bucket or large jar.
Mix equal parts water and molasses. For example, combine one cup of water with one cup of molasses.
Next, place the mixture where these pests are most frequent.
The sweet smell of the molasses attracts the bugs. They drop in and drown as they try to reach for a sip of this sugary substance.
4. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
BT kills larvae that hatch from the eggs, so it’s a great solution to preventing future generations of June bugs. BT can also be used to control other pests, such as moths and mosquitoes, by killing their larvae.
The best way to apply Bt is via foliar spray. You can buy an organic solution containing Bacillus thuringiensis from your local garden store or online.
Following the package instructions, spray directly on infested plants or flowers.
5. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Another natural yet effective way to kill June bugs is with diatomaceous earth (DE).
Diatomaceous earth works by destroying the protective wax coating on the June bug’s exoskeleton. It then desiccates (dries out) their bodies.
Just sprinkle some around your plants, porch, and other areas in your yard where you see flying June bugs and their grubs.
The only downside is that you must reapply it after heavy rain or irrigation because water washes the powder away.
6. Beneficial Nematodes
These microscopic roundworms attack and kill soil-dwelling insects like June bug grub worms.
The nematodes seek out their prey. They then release beneficial bacteria into the insect’s body that will kill it in 24 to 48 hours.
To use them, you’ll need to buy them from a garden center or online store and then apply them according to the instructions that come with your order.
However, make sure you water your lawn before applying the nematodes. Moist soil will help them get to where they need to be quicker.
7. Essential Oils
Many types of essential oils will repel June bugs. Some of these are cedar, eucalyptus, lavender, and pennyroyal.
You can use these oils to naturally repel the pesky critters by spraying them directly on areas where the June bug infestations are concentrated.
You can make a homemade June bug repellent spray by combining 15 drops of your essential oils of choice in a cup of water. Use this measurement as a guide when making larger batches of this plant-based repellent.
8. Milky Spore
This natural treatment is a bacterium that attacks Japanese beetle white grubs in the soil. However, it may also work for June beetle grubs.
Milky spore treatment is applied to the soil. After the grubs eat the spores, they die in 7 to 21 days.
This remedy is a non-chemical treatment worth trying. It may be a viable, natural method for controlling June bugs.
9. Tomato Plants
Consider planting tomato plants in your garden for a satisfying, organic way to repel green June beetles on plants.
The leaves emit a smell that these bugs are not fond of.
10. Vinegar
Vinegar also makes a natural bug repellent for June bugs and other bugs on your plants and around the house. Mix one part water with one part vinegar and add it to a spray bottle.
Spray it on the affected plants and areas around the house to deter the bugs. This homemade bug spray is great to have on hand.
11. Mycotrol ESO Insecticide
Mycotrol ESO is a natural insecticide that effectively controls June bugs. It contains the fungus Beauveria bassiana, lethal to June bugs but harmless to humans and animals.
Takeaway
Whether you call them June bugs or May beetles, there are natural remedies for dealing with them. From natural sprays and traps to picking them off, there are several approaches that will not harm the environment.
Try one of these remedies and come back and tell us which one worked best for you.
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