You step out into the garden with your coffee, ready to admire your tomatoes. And what do you find? Not progress. Not pride. Just holes in your leaves and something squishy crawling where it shouldn’t. Welcome to June. It’s not just you out there anymore. The pests have clocked in, and they’re hungry.
Some are sneaky. Some are armored. Some show up in gangs. But all of them are rude. And June is prime time for the worst of them. Whether you’re dealing with aphid armies or beetles that eat like they pay rent, this guide has your back.
We’ll go through the ten most common garden freeloaders that show up this month, explain how to spot them, and most importantly, how to kick them out. No fluff, no guesswork — just straight-up garden defense, with a few tools and tricks you’ll actually want to use.
1. Aphids
They’re tiny, they’re green (or black, or gray), and they multiply like gossip in a small town. Aphids love tender new growth and will drain the life out of your plants one juicy stem at a time. You’ll find them clustering under leaves, leaving behind a sticky mess called “honeydew,” which sounds cute but leads to sooty mold and a whole new headache.
Spray them off with a blast of water, introduce ladybugs (yes, really), or use insecticidal soap for heavier infestations. Just make sure to spray under the leaves, where these freeloaders like to hide.
A pressurized garden sprayer works wonders for applying soap solutions evenly and reaching those sneaky undersides. Look for one with an adjustable nozzle and shoulder strap so you don’t end up sore and soaked.
Mix 1 tablespoon of mild liquid soap (like castile or dish soap) with 1 liter of water. Optional: add a pinch of cayenne or a few drops of neem oil if you’re feeling spicy. Pour into a spray bottle and apply every few days until the aphids move out. Just don’t spray in direct sun — nobody wants scorched leaves.
2. Japanese Beetles
They look kind of pretty — all shiny and metallic like they’re on their way to a bug disco — but don’t be fooled. Japanese beetles are aggressive feeders that skeletonize leaves faster than you can say “where did all my roses go?” They chew from the top down and tend to swarm in mid to late June, especially on roses, grapes, beans, and anything else you happen to like.
Hand-pick them early in the morning when they’re sluggish and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. Don’t squish them — it releases pheromones that basically say “party over here” to every other beetle in the area.
A handheld beetle trap (without attractant) can help reduce numbers, but avoid placing it in your garden — you’ll lure them in like it’s a buffet. Set it up far from your plants, preferably at your neighbor’s.
Blend 1 cup of garlic cloves and 1 cup of mint leaves with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, let steep, strain, and mix the concentrate with 1 tablespoon of dish soap and enough water to make a spray bottle’s worth. Apply in the evening — it repels beetles without harming your plants or beneficial insects.
3. Slugs
They’re not insects. They’re just gooey little vandals with a taste for tender greens. Slugs come out in the cool of the evening, party all night, and vanish before you wake up. You’ll know they’ve been there if your seedlings look half-eaten or your hostas resemble lace doilies. Oh — and the slimy trails? That’s their calling card.
Pick them off at dusk with a flashlight and drop them into soapy water. If that sounds gross, try copper tape around raised beds or sprinkle crushed eggshells or diatomaceous earth around vulnerable plants. Slugs hate crawling over sharp stuff.
A slug trap with a sunken rim works well — or better yet, build your own (see below). Keep garden beds tidy and avoid heavy mulching near slug-prone plants.
Bury a shallow container (like a yogurt cup) so the rim is level with the soil. Fill it halfway with stale beer. Slugs can’t resist it. They’ll crawl in and drown. Empty and refill every few days. No beer? A yeast-water-sugar mix works too. Just don’t forget where you buried the cup. Trust me on that.
4. Spider Mites
If your plant leaves start to look dusty, speckled, or faded — and there are fine webs between the stems — congratulations, you’ve got spider mites. These microscopic troublemakers suck the chlorophyll out of your plants, turning leaves dull and lifeless. They thrive in hot, dry weather, which makes June basically spider mite heaven.
Rinse them off with a strong spray of water every few days. No need to blast your basil into next week — just enough pressure to knock them loose. Keep the area humid if possible, because spider mites prefer it dry and dusty.
A fine mist sprayer or pump mister helps keep humidity up around sensitive plants, especially if you’re growing in containers or raised beds. Misting once a day can really throw them off their game.
Mix 1 tablespoon of neem oil, 1 teaspoon of mild soap, and 1 liter of water. Shake well and spray leaves top and bottom every few days. Neem works slowly but steadily, breaking up the mites’ life cycle without nuking the whole garden ecosystem.
5. Cabbage Worms
They’re soft, green, and suspiciously good at hiding on — you guessed it — green leaves. Cabbage worms are the larvae of those innocent-looking white butterflies flitting around your broccoli like they’re in a Jane Austen adaptation. What they’re actually doing is laying eggs on the underside of your brassicas, setting you up for a leafy massacre.
Hand-pick them and squish them (or relocate if you’re the gentle sort). Use row covers to keep butterflies out entirely. Once the caterpillars are in, try a biological control like Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) — a naturally occurring bacteria that stops them from eating and makes them go very still, permanently.
A floating row cover is your best friend during cabbage worm season. It keeps the butterflies off your plants without trapping in heat. Just be sure to secure the edges so no one sneaks in for brunch.
Mix 2 cups of warm water with 1 teaspoon of dish soap and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Add a few drops of peppermint or rosemary essential oil if you have it — they hate the smell. Spray the leaves every few days, especially underneath where the eggs hang out.
6. Flea Beetles
They’re small, they’re shiny, and they jump like they’ve had three espressos. Flea beetles chew little round holes in leaves — especially young ones — leaving your seedlings looking like they’ve been hit with a mini shotgun. They’re particularly fond of eggplant, radish, arugula, and anything in the brassica family. And June? Peak season.
Cover vulnerable crops with row covers as soon as you plant them. You can also plant a “trap crop” like radishes nearby — flea beetles love them even more and will go straight for the sacrifice. Dusting the leaves with diatomaceous earth helps, too — it’s like walking on broken glass for bugs.
Sticky traps can catch adults before they start breeding like they own the place. Stick them near affected plants to monitor activity and lower the population a bit while you hit them with other defenses.
Mix 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, and a few drops of dish soap. Shake well and spray directly on the leaves every few days. They can’t stand the smell, and honestly, neither will you — but your plants will thank you.
7. Stink Bugs
They look like tiny armored tanks and have all the charm of an overripe trash can. Stink bugs pierce fruit and vegetable skin with needle-like mouths, leaving behind sunken, brownish spots. Tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers — nothing is safe. And yes, if you crush one, the smell is exactly as bad as you’ve heard.
Hand-pick them early in the day when they’re sluggish. Drop them into soapy water like you’re sending them to bug jail. Don’t squish them — unless you’re outside and upwind. Keep garden beds clean and weed-free to reduce hiding spots.
A vacuum bug catcher (battery-operated or manual) is surprisingly effective for sucking them off plants without triggering their defense stench. Just empty it quickly and far away from your porch.
Mix 2 cups of water with 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and 1 teaspoon of dish soap. Shake and spray where stink bugs like to linger — under leaves, around fruit clusters, and anywhere warm. They hate strong scents almost as much as you hate their attitude.
8. Spittlebugs
If you’ve spotted mysterious white foam on your plants, you’re not going crazy — and no, it’s not snail slime. That’s the calling card of the spittlebug, a tiny sap-sucking insect that hides in its self-produced bubble bath while feeding on plant juices. While they rarely cause serious damage, they’re unsanitary squatters and not exactly great for plant morale.
Spray them off with a strong jet of water. That alone is often enough to evict them. If they come back in force, prune infested stems or apply a mild insecticidal soap to break up their little foam spa days.
A hose-end sprayer with a jet setting gives you precision without wrecking your plants. It’s gentle enough for herbs, strong enough to boot the bugs.
Combine 1 liter of water with 1 teaspoon of liquid castile soap and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. Spray directly on the foam nests and nearby stems. It dissolves their cover and interrupts their very gross brunch routine.
9. Root Maggots
These pests don’t chew leaves or make webs. They’re sneakier than that. Root maggots are the larvae of certain flies, and they burrow into the roots of vegetables like radishes, onions, cabbage, and carrots. You won’t know they’re there until your plants start wilting for no good reason — and by then, it’s often too late. Nice, right?
Rotate crops religiously, and don’t replant root crops in the same bed two years in a row. Use row covers to block the adult flies from laying eggs. If you’re planting in raised beds, add fine mesh at the bottom to keep larvae from tunneling up from below.
Sticky traps placed low to the ground can help monitor adult fly populations. And if you want to go full defense mode, install a fine mesh barrier under your soil layer in containers and beds.
After harvesting or spotting damage, sprinkle a mix of equal parts wood ash and diatomaceous earth around the base of plants. It disrupts larvae movement and dries them out. Reapply after heavy rain, and avoid overwatering — moist soil is party central for root maggots.
10. Grasshoppers
They’re big, they’re bold, and they eat like teenagers after school. Grasshoppers are capable of chewing through leaves, stems, and even soft fruit with zero remorse. They prefer hot, dry weather and open areas, so June is basically their Coachella. And once they settle in, they’re tough to evict.
Keep your garden tidy and reduce weeds in the surrounding area — especially grasses, where they lay their eggs. Introduce natural predators like birds and chickens if that’s an option. Otherwise, barrier row covers can help protect young plants while they’re most vulnerable.
A lightweight mesh netting can be draped over prized crops to keep grasshoppers out without blocking sun or airflow. Bonus: it also keeps out birds, squirrels, and any curious neighbors with fast hands.
Mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 liter of water and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Shake well and spray directly on leaves. The flour gums up their mouthparts, and the pepper keeps them from coming back for seconds. Reapply after rain or watering.
What to Remember Before the Bugs Win
June isn’t just prime time for flowers and fresh greens — it’s also peak season for garden freeloaders. The good news? You don’t need to panic, spray the entire yard with mystery chemicals, or give up and let the bugs have it. With a few smart habits, some homegrown solutions, and the right tools, you can absolutely stay ahead.
Keep an eye out for early signs, water your plants wisely (not just your weeds), and remember that row covers, soapy water, and a little garlic go a long way. Oh — and never underestimate the power of squishing something with purpose. It’s oddly satisfying.
Your garden is yours. Don’t let it get hijacked by six-legged invaders with bad table manners. You’ve got this — pests or no pests.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.