Appearance and way of life of June beetle grubs
The larvae of June beetles not only resemble those of cockchafer externally, but also in their way of life. After all, the two types of beetles are closely related to one another and are very similar to one another even in the adult stage. The developed June beetles are, however, much smaller than cockchafer, while the larvae hardly differ in size from one another.
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We can find the following external properties for June beetleGrubs hold tight:
- Engerling-typical C-shaped curvature
- around 3 cm long
- beige to creamy white color, brown head
- 3 long, bent pairs of legs in the chest area
- Locomotion on your stomach
From other species of grubs, junk beetle grubs can be recognized primarily by their way of life. In contrast to beneficial grub species such as the rose or rhinoceros beetle, they feed do not come from dead plant material and are therefore not in dead wood or compost heaps Find. Like cockchafer larvae, they live in the ground during their entire two to three year development phase.
Damage from June beetle grubs
Junk beetle grubs cause displeasure among hobby gardeners by eating their roots. They mainly enjoy the tender roots of grass, but also vegetable and fruit plants such as beets, lettuce, strawberries or kohlrabi. You can recognize the damage by the dying upper parts of the plant. Lawns show dried-up, yellow islands in the case of a June beetle grub infestation, which can easily be removed by hand due to their lack of roots. When digging up such damaged plants, the eaten roots and grubs can be exposed.
Combat and prevent
Once there is an infestation, you should first dig up the soil and remove the dead plants and grubs as thoroughly as possible.
In order to master them, the use of predatory nematodes has proven itself. They also parasitize and kill other harmful grubs.
Careful maintenance and strengthening of the lawn is recommended for prevention. Mow and scarify it regularly, but not too close to the area Sward to condense. This makes it difficult for the June beetles to lay their eggs. Chemical pesticides should be avoided to protect beneficial microorganisms in the soil.