Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
HI, I'M DAPHNE RICHARDS AND THIS IS AUGIE. THIS WEEK I'D LIKE TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS
ABOUT JUNE BUGS. AS THEIR NAME SUGGESTS, JUNE BUGS ARE MOST
VISIBLE IN JUNE, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS YEAR WE'VE BEEN INUNDATED WITH THEM.
BUT IF YOU WEREN'T OUT AFTER DARK YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE NOTICED THEM.
WHILE OUT ON MY NIGHTLY WALK WITH AUGIE THERE WERE SO MANY JUNE BUGS FLYING AROUND NEIGHBORHOOD
LAWNS THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RAINING. IT WAS FUNNY TO WATCH AUGIE'S REACTION WHEN
HE GOT PELTED IN THE FACE WITH THEM. WITH SO MANY JUNE PLUGS FLYING AROUND THIS
YEAR IT WAS NO SURPRISE MY PHONE WAS RINGING OFF THE HOOK WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM.
WHILE THE ADULTS ARE SIMPLY A NUISANCE, THE LARVAE OF THIS BEETLE CAN BE DAMAGING IN LANDSCAPES,
ESPECIALLY IN TURF GRASS, AND WITH SO MANY ADULTS FLYING AROUND THIS YEAR IT'S LIKELY
THAT WE NOW HAVE LOTS OF LARVAE DEVELOPING IN OUR YARD.
AS YOU KNOW, JUNE BUGS, ESPECIALLY MALE JUNE BUGS, ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT, SO THE BEST
WAY TO KEEP THEM FROM ANNOYING YOU IS TO TURN OFF ALL OUTDOOR LIGHTS AT NIGHT.
THE FEMALES ARE MORE OFTEN FOUND BUZZING AROUND IN THE LANDSCAPE, SINCE AFTER THEY MATE THEY
BEGIN TO LOOK FOR A NICE SOFT PLACE TO LAY THEIR EGGS.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE EGGS ARE PROTECTED, FEMALES BURROW UP TO 5 INCHES UNDERGROUND.
AS WITH MOST INSECTS, KNOWING THE LIFE CYCLE IS CRITICAL TO CONTROLLING THE JUNE BUGS,
WHOSE LARVAE ARE REFERRED TO AS WHITE GRUBS. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT BEETLES THAT HAVE
WHITE GRUB LARVAE, SOME OF WHICH ARE NO THREAT TO YOUR PLANTS.
NONTHREATENING ONES INCLUDE THOSE THAT YOU MIGHT FIND IN YOUR COMPOST PILE WHERE THEY'RE
ACTUALLY BENEFICIAL. BUT IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHITE GRUBS
IN YOUR LANDSCAPE, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY TREAT FOR THEM, AND TIMING IS CRITICAL.
EARLY STAGES OF GROWTH, WHEN THE LARVAE ARE SMALL AND ACTIVELY FEEDING, ARE THE ONLY TIME
THAT YOU CAN KILL THEM. THIS OCCURS FROM ABOUT MID JUNE THROUGH EARLY
JULY, SO NOW WOULD BE A PERFECT TIME TO TREAT. AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO USE BENEFICIAL NEMATODES
TO DO SO, WHICH ARE GREAT FOR CONTROLLING WHITE GRUBS, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET THE
RIGHT SPECIES OF NEMATODE, SINCE EACH SPECIES OF NEED TOWED ONLY ATTACK SPECIFIC SPECIES
OF WHITE GRUBS. JUNE BUGS ARE ACTUALLY JUNE BEETLES COME WHEN
READING LABELS ON POTENTIAL PRODUCTS TO PURCHASE YOU'LL SEE JUNE BEETLE ON THE LABEL.
REGRETTABLY I'LL HAVE TO CUT THIS DISCUSSION SHORT, SINCE THE FABULOUS CTG PRODUCER HAS
NOT GIVEN ME AN ENTIRE PROGRAM TO DEVOTE TO GRUB WORMS.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU MORE DETAILS, CONTACT CTG THROUGH OUR WEB SITE OR SEND ME AN EMAIL
AND WE'LL SEND YOU LINKS TO EXTENSION PUBLICATION WITH ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO CONTROL
GRUB WORMS. FIND MY CONTACT INFORMATION WITH A SIMPLE
INTERNET SEARCH FOR MY NAME. OUR PLANT THIS WEEK IS CASSIA, WHICH MIKES
A BEAUTIFUL EVERGREEN ADDITION TO ANY LANDSCAPE. DROUGHT AND HEAT INTOLERANCE ARE AT THE TOP
OF THE LIST OF PLANT CHARACTERISTICS FOR MOST PEOPLE THESE DAYS, AND THIS PLANT HAS PLENTY
OF BOTH. IT WILL THRIVE WITH ONLY ONCE A WEEK WATERING,
AND WILL SURVIVE ON MUCH LESS. THE GORGEOUS YELLOW FLOWERS THAT COVER CASSIA
IN SUMMER ARE A BONUS SINCE THE VIBRANT GREEN LEAVES ARE BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH BY THEMSELVES
ALL YEAR ROUND. AS WITH MOST NATURALLY SHRUBBY DESERT SPECIES,
CASSIA CAN BE TRAINED INTO A SMALL TREE, IF YOU PREFER, OR YOU CAN LEAVE IT BUSHY AND
FULL SINCE IT HAS A NATURALLY ROUND, PLEASING SHAPE WITH ABSOLUTELY NO PRUNING WHATSOEVER.
CASSIA CAN TAKE THE WORST OF OUR INTENSE SUMMER HEAT AND SUNLIGHT, SO IF YOU HAVE A SPOT WITH
REFLECTED HEAT WHERE NOTHING ELSE SEEMS TO GROW, CASSIA WOULD BE A GOOD CHOICE.
IT ALSO TAKES THE WORST OF OUR CENTRAL TEXAS COLD SNAPS AND HAS SURVIVED IN OUR DEMONSTRATION
GARDEN AT THE EXTENSION OFFICE THROUGH SOME UNCOMMONLY COLD WINTERS.
FOR A SHRUB IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH SPACE. ONLY GETTING ABOUT 5 FEET TALL AND WIDE.
WE HAVE ANOTHER GREAT VIEWER PHOTO THIS WEEK, SNAPPED AT MY VERY OWN GARDEN AT THE EXTENSION
OFFICE. AT OUR RECENT DEMONSTRATION FIELD DAY MASTER
GARDEN SHERYL WILLIAMS SHOWED OFF HER FABULOUS UPCYCLED COMPOST SCREEN.
HER HUSBAND ED KIMBALL USED THE HANDLES FROM A BROKEN DOWN WHEEL BARROW TO MAKE THE HANDLES
OF THE SCREEN. GREAT IDEA.
AND THIS WEEK IN YOUR GARDEN, IT'S TIME TO PLANT PUMPKINS.
WE'D LOVE TO HERE FROM YOU. VISIT US AT KLRU.ORG/CTG.