Annoying June Bugs Strafing Northern New Jersey Homes
Like mini bombardiers, they strafe your front porch light, buzzing noisily as they fly in erratic circles that often result in collisions with visitors trying to dodge their attacks as they attempt to enter your northern New Jersey home. Heavy-bodied, hard-shelled June bugs can turn the front porch of your northern New Jersey home into a battle zone. Attracted by light, these night-prowling insects present an annoying nuisance on warm June nights in Bergen, Passaic, West Essex and Morris counties.
A species of scarab beetles, Phyllophaga, commonly known as June bugs or June beetles, are fairly large (up to 1 inch long), reddish-brown colored, oval-shaped beetles with three pairs of legs. Called June bugs because these beetles pupate and emerge from the ground in the spring, Phyllophaga populations peak in mid to late June when large numbers of flying beetles are attracted by bright lights. During this period, female June bugs tunnel into the top 2 to 5 inches of soil to lay their eggs. As eggs develop into larvae, gardeners may discover 1/2-inch, c-shaped whitish-yellow grubs in the soil.
While June bugs present no health danger to humans, Phyllophaga grubs are a highly destructive pest in lawns and gardens, northern New Jersey pest control experts warn. Feeding on the roots of grasses, vegetable transplants, ornamental plants and weeds, grubs can decimate lawns and garden plants, gnawing away the roots that feed them and killing lawns and plants.