June bugs are one of the most recognizable summer insects in Texas, swarming porch lights and smacking into screen doors from late spring through midsummer. Several species of these brown, buzzing beetles call Texas home, and while the adults are mostly a nuisance, their larvae can cause real damage to lawns. Here’s what Texas homeowners need to know.
What June Bugs Are and When They Appear
June bugs (also called June beetles or May beetles) belong to a large group of scarab beetles in the genus Phyllophaga, with dozens of species found across Texas. They’re stout, oval-shaped beetles ranging from half an inch to over an inch long, typically reddish-brown to dark brown. You’ll spot them most often at night, drawn to any light source near your home.
In Texas, the timing depends on where you live. In the southern part of the state, adults can start emerging as early as late April. In central and north Texas, peak activity runs from late May through July. The beetles spend most of the day buried in soil or hiding in vegetation, then take flight after dark in search of mates. Females lay eggs in the soil shortly after mating, and those eggs are the start of the real problem: white grubs.
The Grub Problem Under Your Lawn
Adult June bugs do relatively little damage. A few may temporarily strip leaves from trees and ornamental plants, but they rarely cause lasting harm. Their larvae, known as white grubs, are a different story. These C-shaped, cream-colored grubs live in the soil and feed on the roots of turfgrass, sometimes for one to three years depending on the species.
White grubs attack the roots of virtually every turfgrass type grown in Texas: bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, buffalograss, and cool-season grasses like fescue and ryegrass. The damage shows up as irregularly shaped patches of dead or dying grass that look a lot like drought stress. The key difference is that drought-stressed grass is still anchored to the soil. If the grubs have eaten enough roots, you can grab a section of turf and roll it back like a carpet.
Most visible damage comes from larger, more mature grubs feeding aggressively in late summer and early fall. But the destruction doesn’t stop there. Skunks, raccoons, and armadillos will tear up a lawn to dig out grubs, sometimes causing more visible damage than the grubs themselves. If you’re waking up to chunks of sod flipped over in your yard, grubs are likely the root cause.
How to Check for Grubs
The simplest method is to cut a one-square-foot section of turf about three inches deep in an area where healthy grass meets a brown patch. Peel it back and count the grubs you see. A few grubs per square foot is normal and usually not worth treating. When counts climb above five to ten per square foot, treatment starts to make sense, especially if you’re already seeing dead patches or animal digging.
Check multiple spots across your lawn, since grub populations aren’t evenly distributed. They tend to concentrate in areas with moist, well-irrigated soil where females preferred to lay eggs.
Managing Grubs in Texas Lawns
Timing is everything with grub control. Preventive insecticide treatments work best when applied in early to midsummer, before newly hatched grubs grow large enough to cause damage. By the time you see dead patches in September or October, the grubs are bigger, harder to kill, and have already done most of their damage. Curative treatments applied to large grubs are less effective.
For homeowners looking for biological options, beneficial nematodes (microscopic worm-like organisms that parasitize grubs) can be applied to the soil. They need moist soil and moderate temperatures to work, so water your lawn before and after application and apply them in the evening to avoid UV exposure. Results with nematodes can be inconsistent, but they’re a reasonable option for those avoiding chemical treatments.
Milky spore disease, another biological control you’ll see recommended online, is effective only against Japanese beetle grubs. Since the predominant grub species in Texas lawns come from June beetles, not Japanese beetles, milky spore is generally not the right tool for Texas homeowners.
Dealing With Adult June Bugs
The adults are clumsy, loud, and annoying, but they’re harmless to people. They don’t bite or sting. Reducing outdoor lighting is the single most effective way to keep them from congregating around your home. Switching white porch lights to yellow or amber “bug lights” makes a noticeable difference, since June bugs are far less attracted to longer wavelengths of light.
A simple bucket trap also works well: fill a wide container with water, add a few drops of dish soap to break the surface tension, and place it under a light source. The beetles fly toward the light, hit the water, and can’t escape. You can collect dozens in a single night during peak season.
Are June Bugs Safe Around Pets?
June bugs aren’t toxic to dogs or cats, and they don’t bite or sting. That said, dogs love to snap them out of the air, and eating too many can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach upset. The hard exoskeletons don’t digest well. In rare cases where a dog eats a large number, the shells can accumulate and cause a gastrointestinal blockage that requires veterinary intervention. A dog eating one or two off the patio isn’t cause for concern, but if your dog is obsessively hunting them, it’s worth redirecting that energy elsewhere.