There is no need for chemistry against white grubs
Apart from the fact that large cockchafer invasions, as they were in the 1950s, are a thing of the past and their larvae are now accordingly occur only in moderation - there is no chemical violence whatsoever against the insects branded as pests necessary. The damage they and the Grubs wreaking havoc with other beetles is really moderate these days.
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The larvae of the beetle species from the superfamily Scarabaeoidea are called grubs. But only a part of it is harmful to garden plants. This includes:
- Cockchafer
- June beetle
- Garden beetle
Their larvae eat roots of living plants during their 2-4 year underground development period, causing them to die. Mainly grasses are affected, i.e. the garden lawn, but also ornamental and useful plants in the bed. You can recognize the damage by the dried up and withered-looking parts of the above-ground plants; yellow islands that can be removed by hand appear in the garden lawn.
In order to eliminate the voracious grubs in the ground, the first thing to do is to dig up the appropriate places. Simply collect the larvae at first. This will not be entirely possible - nematodes help to finish off the rest as well.
Nematodes as grubs destroyers
Nematodes are roundworms and form a very species-rich strain in the animal kingdom. Some species are a serious nuisance for horticulture and agriculture because they can severely damage entire arable land of crops. Others have also been discovered as beneficial insects - because of their parasitic way of life.
Nematodes that can be used against grubs are mainly predatory species of the genus Heterorhabditis. They use the grubs as hosts for their reproduction. They invade the larvae and release bacteria that are deadly for them into their bloodstream.
However, not all grubs are parasitized equally well by nematodes. The method works quite effectively with junk beetles and garden beetles, but less well with cockchafer beetles.
Nematodes are offered in the garden or hardware store or on the Internet. In the Clay granules trapped roundworms can simply be brought into the ground using irrigation water.
