June Bugs – Are they bothering You

June bug on wood floor in the Mississippi gulf coast; Southern Pest Control

june bugs

 

Summer nights are about enjoying the great outdoors whether on your back porch, patio, or pool deck. But this pleasant time can turn out to be a hassle due to the legion of bugs to worry about.  One of the most troublesome bugs – at least for a few weeks each summer – is the so-called June bug. These large and clumsy beetles are attracted to nighttime light, so they can be a pest to any outdoor evening activity you have planned.

The term “June bug” isn’t a scientifically assigned name. Instead, it’s a common name applied regionally to a variety of different beetle species. The six most common are:

  • European Chafer Beetle
  • Green June Beetle
  • Japanese Beetle
  • Figeater Beetle 
  • Ten-Lined June Beetle
  • Phyllophaga

June bugs are generally nocturnal. They spend their nights feeding on plants and breeding. They are attracted to nighttime light. They however are not aggressive and do not bite. So, except for being annoying these beetles are harmless to you and your pets.

However, the most common sign that June Bugs have become a problem are large brown patches in your lawn. These dead spots are caused by June bug grubs, which live underground, feeding on the roots of your grass. To inspect for these pests, cut out a section of the dead grass, turn it over, and look for white, C-shaped grubs.

Once you see adult June bugs, there’s little you can do to control the infestation that season. Therefore, it’s important to act early to kill June bug grubs before they can develop. Female June bugs start laying eggs in the soil as fall approaches. These eggs hatch into grubs that burrow further down into the soil where they spend the winter. That makes late summer and early fall the perfect time to treat your lawn with insecticide.

We at Southern Pest Control hope that this information was beneficial. Remember if you have an out of control pest problem in your home or outdoors, we are here to help. We have been in the Pest Control business for over 37 years serving the entire Gulf Coast Region. Please call us at 800 527-9832 if we can help. Please visit our website at www.southernpestcontrol.biz to meet our team of experts and learn more about our services.

 

Lady Bugs- Good or Bad?

Ladybug in yard in the Mississippi gulf coast; Southern Pest Control

lady bugs

Lady Beetles, often called lady bugs, are not considered true bugs or insects. They include more than 5,000 species worldwide, with more than 450 native to North America. They are about a quarter of an inch long, are oval or dome-shaped and are usually yellow, orange, or scarlet with small black spots on their wing covers. Their legs, head and antennae are black.

 

There is a myth about lady bugs that says the spots on their backs indicate their age. Actually, the size and shape of the spots indicate the species of the beetle. They are also a topic of a popular nursery rhymes. Ladybird, Ladybird.

 

They are drawn to home vegetable gardens in search of food, primarily soft-bodied insects such as aphids and scale. These voracious eaters are anything but ladylike. Planting angelica or scented geraniums might also help attract Lady bugs to your garden.

 

Aphids and scale are harmful to ornamental and vegetable crops, and lady bugs are a natural way of controlling these pests. In fact, the lady bug most frequently seen in American gardens is the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, which was introduced by USDA Agricultural Research scientists in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a biological control agent for soft-bodied insects. You can actually purchase lady bugs if you like.

 

The only need to control lady bugs is when they enter your house, where the walls mimic the vertical cliffs where they overwinter in their home countries. The best way to keep them outdoors is to seal cracks and crevices and to make sure that doors, windows and screens have a tight seal. They want harm you or your family but can become a nuisance.

 

We at Southern Pest Control hope that you enjoyed this information. We have been serving this Mississippi Gulf Coast area for over 35 years. All members of our staff are professionals and have received the needed training to safely rid your home and office of unwanted pests.

 

Please call us at 800 527-9832 when a pest control or termite issue arises.

Keep Unwanted Christmas Pests Out

Christmas Tree in the Mississippi gulf coast; Southern Pest Control

Christmas Tree Pests

Keep Unwanted Christmas Pests Out

In rare circumstances, the Christmas tree that you bought on the lot can come with holiday pests. There are a couple types of Christmas tree pests: those that actually feed on the tree and that are pests from the tree growers, and those that are just hitchhiking on the tree.

The two most common grower pests are spruce spider mites and aphids. The white pine aphid is a black insect that can be found on pine trees. These grower pests are usually killed by treatment before the trees are cut for sale. Growers say that only about one in 100,000 cut trees are accidentally shipped with pests. If you cut your own tree or greens, you’re much more likely to be bringing home some harmless Christmas tree pests.

Christmas Trees Can Hide Hitchhikers

The second group of pests is those that have crawled into the tree looking for shelter. These include spiders, sowbugs, ants, and beetles. These pests may have been hiding in the tree when cut or may have moved in during transport, storage on the lot, or even while the tree sat in your yard for a couple of days. A evergreen tree provides winter shelter for all kinds of pests. Once the tree is moved indoors, the insects become active again. Sometimes a praying mantis will lay an egg case on a branch. It looks like a beige chunk of Styrofoam. Simply cut it out and dispose of it.

This makes it sound like all Christmas trees are infested with pests.  Most of the time, the tree won’t have any pests. None of the Christmas tree pests can cause any damage to your home, they don’t bite or sting, they are simply nuisance pests. Remove the pests by hand or vacuum up those that have left the tree. They won’t reproduce in your home either since most will die quickly once they are in a drier indoor environment.

Inspect Before You Buy or Cut Your Tree

Look for aphids or other small insects along the branches ,where the branches meet the trunk. Look for spider webs and look at the bottom of the branches, too. Look for powder-like sawdust and tiny holes on the trunk that are an indication of bark beetles. Bring a flashlight if you’re shopping at night.

When You Get the Tree Home

Before you bring your tree inside, shake the tree and pound the base of the trunk on the ground to remove any insects or spiders. Cut out any egg cases. Remove dead needles and debris. You can even hose down the tree if temperatures are above freezing.