June beetle larvae are among the most harmful types of grubs. In a garden with a lawn and vegetables, they can definitely cause trouble. It is therefore useful to know how to identify the pests and how to best deal with them.
June beetle grubs grow to about 3cm long
Appearance and habits of June beetle grubs
The larvae of June beetles are very similar to those of May beetles, not only in appearance but also in their way of life. After all, the two beetle species are closely related to each other and are very similar to each other even in the adult stage. However, the developed June beetles are significantly smaller than May beetles, while the larvae hardly differ from each other in terms of size.
We can record the following external characteristics for June beetle grubs:
- Engerling-typical C-shaped curvature
- around 3 cm long
- beige to off-white color, brown head
- 3 long, kinked pairs of legs in the chest area
- Prone locomotion
June beetle grubs can be recognized from other grub species above all by their way of life. Unlike useful grub species such as those of the rose beetle or rhinoceros beetle, they do not feed on dead plant material and are therefore not found in dead wood or compost heaps. Like cockchafer larvae, they live in the ground throughout their two to three-year development phase.
Damage from June bug grubs
June beetle grubs cause resentment among hobby gardeners by eating their roots. They mainly feast on the tender roots of grass, but also on vegetable and fruit plants such as turnips, lettuce, strawberries or kohlrabi. You can recognize the damage by dying upper parts of the plant. In the case of a June beetle grub infestation, lawn areas show dried-up, yellow islands that can easily be pulled off by hand due to their rootlessness. Digging up such damaged plants can reveal the eaten roots and grubs.
Combat and Prevention
Once an infestation is there, you should first dig up the ground and remove the dead plants and grubs as thoroughly as possible.
In order to get them under control, the use of predatory nematodes has proven itself. They also parasitize and kill other harmful grubs.
Careful care and strengthening of the lawn is recommended for prevention. Mow and scarify regularly, but not too short to compact the turf. This makes it difficult for the June beetle to lay eggs. You should avoid chemical pesticides to protect beneficial microorganisms in the soil.