Green June beetle Alert!

Although they have been buzzing around outside my apartment complex for the last week or so (see video), numbers of Green June beetle adults have increased significantly in Wake (and neighboring) counties in the last few days.

Green June beetles will often group together in clusters and can be easy to spot since they are large, clumsy fliers and bright green and gold. Adults are over an inch long and females will lay their eggs in the soil as soon as adult flight begins. The larvae are considered white grubs but they are much larger and not C-shaped like other scarab species. The larvae will come to the turf surface at night to feed and create nickel-sized emergence holes.

Additional info and chemical recommendations can be found on the Green June beetle pest info sheet on Turffiles. In a preventative approach, neonicotinoids work well against the larvae and should be applied now. Curative treatments (Dylox, Sevin) are usually applied around the first week of September in NC. Be aware that if you spray late in the season for GJB larvae, they will die on the turf surface and may need to be removed to prevent an unsightly mess.