May Beetle May Have You Beat
October 27th, 2009 Posted in Beetles & Ladybugs
Spring is starting to warm up, the grass is getting lush, green…and patchy?
May beetles, especially grubs, have a noticeable impact on a yards health.
May beetles, also called June beetles, are named for the month the adults come out to play.
If you don’t know everything about May beetles, this article will cover it:
May Beetle Life Cycle
May beetles life cycle lasts about three years.
The cycle consists of four stages, Egg, larvae, pupae, and adult.
Larvae
May beetle eggs are white and elongated, starting about 2.5 mm long and growing slightly longer as the larvae grows inside.
When the larvae hatches from the egg, it is usually about 5 mm in length, white, and C-shaped. Throughout this stage, they grow up to 5 times their original size.
Hairs on the underside of the white grub larvae distinguish it from other types of grubs.
The larvae enter the pupae stage after they’re second year of growth. Pupae are created as earthen shells.
Adults
Adults exit the pupae stage in later summer, but remain underground until the following spring, when they will mate.
Adult May beetles can be big, their brownish-red bodies getting up to an inch in length.
These scarab beetles’ bodies are oval-shaped and usually shiny.
May Beetle Diet and Damage
May beetle larvae feed on plant matter, specifically the roots of plants. High numbers of larvae can cause a portion of your lawn to dry up or die.
Heavily damaged portions of your lawn can be peeled back, exposing the larvae. There most preferred food is sod and corn roots, but they will eat other grasses and plants.
Adults, which don’t stay underground, feed on plant leaves. They’re cuisine of choice is oak leaves.
They will dine mostly on hardwood leaves, and heavily damaged trees won’t be able to photosynthesize enough to survive.
May Beetle Control
Small numbers of larvae aren’t usually problematic. To check for larvae, shovel out about one square foot of soil, going several inches deep. Large areas of grass, like golf courses, should have several of these samples taken
If, in that patch, there are between 3 and 7 larvae, action should probably be taken.
Maintaining your lawn with good fertilizer and keep it well watered. This will help keep them from first damaging the plants and sustain the plants longer.
Some species of bees and wasps prey on the larvae, keeping the numbers below damaging range.
Chemicals such as Proxol and Dylox will kill the grubs as well. There are other chemicals that will kill the grubs, but must be administered by a professional.
A safe chemical-free way to treat for May beetle larvae is using EcoSMART’s lawn insect control. The all natural lawn treatment is made with thyme and sesame oil to protect your lawn from pests and your family and pets from chemicals.
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