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In the evening during spring/early summer, you might be startled by a loud clatter on a lighted window - take a torch and investigate - there is a good chance it will be 'Maybug' attracted by the house lights.
Adult Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha)
Chafers are beetles (Coleoptera), and belong to the same family as the scarab or dung-beetles (Scarabaeidae). The most familiar of our chafers is the Cockchafer or 'Maybug' (Melolontha melolontha). The adult beetle (shown above) is a night-flier and often comes crashing into lighted windows on warm evenings in spring and early summer. Its large size (25-35 mm long) and buzzing flight make it a little frightening, but the beetle is quite harmless and will not bite or sting.
Adult chafers eat the leaves and flowers of many deciduous trees, shrubs and other plants, but rarely cause any serious damage in the UK. However, their fat, white grubs (reaching 40-45 mm long when full grown) live in the soil and feed on plant roots, especially those of grasses and cereals, and are occasional pests in pastures, nurseries, gardens, and in grassy amenity areas like golf-courses. The injury to grassland and lawns results in poorly growing patches that quickly turn brown in dry weather. The grubs can be found immediately below the surface, usually lying in a characteristic comma-like position. Grubs sometimes attack vegetables and other garden plants including young ornamental trees. Injury to the roots and rootstock causes small saplings and tender tap-rooted plants like lettuce, to wilt suddenly or to show stunted growth and a tendency to shed leaves prematurely. Chafer grubs feed below ground for 3-4 years before changing into adult beetles.
Chafer grubs can be controlled by treating infested areas with an insecticide liquid or powder (making sure the manufacturer instructions are followed carefully). However, in private gardens it is usually sufficient to simply remove and kill the grubs by hand when they are found. Thorough cultivation of flower borders and vegetable plots will generally ensure that plant losses are minimal.
A range of leaflets on wildlife topics is available online from the |DEFRA website.
Or if you require any further assistance please contact the |Environmental Health & Licensing Division.