If you have played golf in North Carolina during the summer, you have likely seen beetles on the fairways and greens. The one thing you will likely notice about the specific beetles I’m mentioned is the fact that they always seem to be mating. It is 95 degrees with 80% humidity and five to 10 beetles will be on top of each other in what I am assuming is a mating ritual.

I have noticed these smaller black and red beetles on courses such as Hasentree and Heritage in Wake Forest but not other courses in the mountains. I am, by no means, an expert when it comes to bugs and beetles but I would imagine these insects being on the greens is not healthy for the grass. That said, Bermudagrass greens are very durable so maybe it is all fine and dandy and we get to watch beetles have sex while putting.

Have you noticed these types of beetles in your yard or in other parts of North Carolina. Are they so worrisome that you decided to call the local pest control company?

Another thing I noticed in mid to late August was the increase in what I call “sweat bees”. Once again, I am not an expert, but I am seeing and feeling more and more small bees flying around golf courses in the Raleigh and Durham, NC area. They are very bothersome if you are trying to execute the proper golf shot. I was on the range at Hope Valley around 6:30 pm est and these small “sweat bees” were everywhere. You could not hit two shots in a row without them being all over your legs.

In conclusion, there are plenty of insects, bugs and beetles on golf courses in the state of North Carolina. Greenskeepers have to figure out which are harmful and which are acceptable. In the next few weeks I will talk to the greenskeeper at Hope Valley to get a better understanding of which beetles, bees and bugs are harmful to the course.