If you feel like you’ve been dive-bombed by a big flying insect in your backyard recently, you aren’t alone. Green June beetles are quite active this year and many homeowners and gardeners are noticing their presence.
Green June beetles look a lot like the common May beetle (June bug) but they have a dull, velvety green and tan coloration. The underside of the beetle is an iridescent green and the beetles have poor navigational skills which is why they often seem to be close to bumping into you as they fly. They often are seen buzzing aimlessly until they hit something in their path. They also make a buzzing sound that can get them confused with bees. This can lead to unnecessary concern for those who are unfamiliar with the insect.
Green June beetles will not cause you any harm and their flying season generally ends by September. Although they are just a nuisance to us, these beetles can often damage fruit plantings in late summer.
Potential damage to fruit gardens
Insects are very opportunistic and the green June Beetle is a perfect example. These large buzzing beetles love to congregate on any trees that are bleeding sap or on ripe or overripe fruit in the late summer for an easy meal. In some years the numbers of beetles can be large enough to cause extensive feeding damage and loss of produce to fruit growers.
Green June beetles love to feed on ripening fruits including apricots, peaches, plums, apples, pears grapes, blackberries, raspberries and others.
It is the adults that cause the problem on fruits and vegetables. The larvae of this insect are actually grubs that feed mainly on the humus (organic matter) and grass roots in the soil.
Green June beetle has a one-year life cycle and overwinters as a mature larva or grub in the soil. Green June beetle larvae or grubs cause less damage to turf-grass than other insect pests such as the Japanese beetle. However, birds, moles, and skunks can damage turfgrass when foraging for green June beetle larvae.
What to do
If large numbers of adult green June beetle are encountered action may need to be taken to prevent vulnerable fruit or vegetables from being damaged.
For small bushes, plants, or only a few trees, a row cover fabric can be placed over the top of the plants to prevent the beetles from accessing the fruit. Row cover fabric prevents insects but allows light, air and water to penetrate to the plant while fruit continue to ripen. It is available from many garden supply centers or catalogs. Fruit bagging is another option that can be used to protect smaller numbers of fruit.
Where covering or bagging is impractical the use of an insecticide or a repellant may be the only option. A number of general-use insecticides, including acetamiprid (Ortho Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Insect Killer), Sevin and malathion, may be used to discourage feeding. Each spray requires a certain waiting period after application before harvesting, so be sure to read and follow label directions carefully for your specific fruit.
Neem based products have also been shown to be effective as a repellent against the beetles when feeding pressure is not extremely high. Neem is only effective for a fairly short period, usually around 1-3 days. Neem often has a 1 day or less waiting period to harvest and so if fruit is very close to being harvestable it may be a good option. Neem can be found in products such as Fertilome Fruit Tree Spray with Neem-Py, Fertilome Triple Action Plus and others.
Read more about Green June Beetles in our publication here.
Central Kansas Lawn & Garden Blog 