In the last article, I talked to you guys about grub worms and how to treat for them and when. While that is important for sure, I promise you there is a lot more to this story, and it starts with the adult June bugs or Japanese beetles.

We call them June bugs, but that term encompasses many different types of May/June beetles we find across the United States. These critters, with their green heads and brown, shining bodies, have voracious appetites and will chew up your valuable landscape trees and shrubs if they are allowed to go free.

How To Stop June Bugs From Damaging Your Landscape

The first thing to realize is that some beetle damage to your trees and shrubs is to be expected. We don’t need to go slathering insecticides all over the place if there isn’t a major problem. So the first tip is to keep your eyes open and monitor your landscape regularly.

There are times quite often, however, where beetle populations do get out of hand and major damage can occur to susceptible plants. This is when we need to spray.

If you are using a general landscape insecticide like “Sevin” on your trees and shrubs, you should be fine when it comes to June bugs. The key is to once again monitor and only spray when necessary. Most over-the-counter insecticides available to homeowners do not have much of a residual, meaning they need to be reapplied regularly if infestations warrant it.

You can also get systemic products from nursuries and garden centers but should consult a local horticulturist before injecting anything into your soil. It sometimes may even be best to pay a professional to treat your landscape if you are unsure.

Here is a short list of trees and shrubs that Japanese beetles and June bugs prefer to feed on:

- purple plum or sand cherry

- linden

- river birch

- roses

- rose of Sharon

- Japanese maple

It is that time of year where Japanese Beetles will be munching and crunching on your delicate roses and other shrubs and trees. In this video blog post, I show you how to identify the Japanese beetle, as well as tell you what to spray and show you how to spray it as well. Easy and simple…now watch the video and then look below.

Thanks to my Dad who played “spray model” in this one. Those are his knockout roses that were infested with the Japanese beetles. If you are viewing the blog in the email newsletter, please click the title above to come to the site and view it. I get some nice closeups of the beetles on this one!

Here is an organic/natural/green insecticide choice that I would also endorse for killing Japanese beetles. Get a couple bottles guys… this is not a concentrate. It is pre-mixed in a small spray bottle.