June bugs are one of the most common garden pests. They are small and black in color, with a cylindrical body that is about half an inch long. June bugs have many predators, including ducks and birds. So yes, ducks do eat June bugs, like many other types of bugs usually found in gardens.

What Are June Bugs?

June bugs are insects belonging to the family Corixidae. They are approximately between 2 and 3 centimeters in length (about 1-1.5 inches) with the wings of a brownish red and a dark body.

They like to hide in wet areas such as rain gutters, trees, and floating mats of moss. June bug is an American word. Some common names for June bugs include moss bug, spittlebug, and swamp buggy.

June bugs are slow moving, have a cylindrical body and dark legs. They can be seen by their sounds or by their shadow when they are flying.

They are found in nature (forest and farm) and in greenhouses, gardens, lawns, fields, etc…

June bugs like to hide in wet areas. When June bugs see something like a plant or a piece of moss that is darker than the water around it or wet mud then they will go in between the dark thing and their legs will sink in the wetness.

This allows them to stay still without being noticed which allows them to sit there for about two days which is about how long they eat before they grow wings enough to fly away from it.

June bug feeding can be distinguished from other types of bugs by the sound that they make when eating. If you listen closely, you can hear them sucking in the air through their mouth.

They use this air to help turn their tongue inside out and to suck up the juices and materials around them.

Once they are full, or once they are done feeding, June bugs will fly off to a new place like a tree stump or something like that where they can dry out and form a shell before taking flight again. This process is called chorusing because it sounds like the tree stump is playing music.

Do Ducks Eat June Bugs? Is It Safe?

Yes, they will definitely eat them, you can consider ducks as a very efficient natural pest control!

Not only is it safe but they will also benefit to add insects to their diet which strengthens their immune system.

So yes, it’s perfectly safe for them to eat, the only bad side that I can think of is that certain kinds of bugs can produce a bad smell to keep potential predators away if they feel threatened, but in the case of the June bugs you shouldn’t worry too much.

What Other Insects Do Ducks Eat?

They will eat pretty much any insect or bugs that they will come across, from Dragonflies, Lady Bugs, Mosquitos, Mayflies, Japanese beetle, and White Ants.

Most of the time they will eat only a few of these insects at a time but at other times they can eat many different kinds at one time so you should always be aware of what they might be eating and be able to catch them before they move again since they would have eaten everything you could put in front of it.

In a day a duck can eat a lot of bugs, we are talking in the hundreds, or even more, if given unlimited access, the number usually stops at around 200 just because the number of insects available will go down of course.

So you can consider them an unstoppable pest control machine!

Conclusion

Yes, Ducks do, and will, eat June bugs, and of course, other bugs that they come across, this benefits them, by keeping them busy and getting the health benefits that they bring like, a stronger immune system, omega three oils for strong, shiny coats and healthy skin.

Also keep in mind that if you are having a bunch of bugs around your house, that the ducks may need your help to get rid of them.

Credits

Pictures from MabelAmber and Brett_Hondow of pixabay.com