This is how you get rid of the pests

Interesting facts about grubs

as Grubs is the name given to the larvae of beetles from the generic and species-rich superfamily Scarabaeoidea. For the local garden culture, however, only a handful are relevant. Above all, this includes:

• Cockchafer
• June beetle (ribbed curl beetle)
• Garden beetle
• Rose chafer
• Rhinoceros beetle

The larvae of these beetle species all have a typical appearance that is usually difficult to distinguish from one another. Characteristic is the C-shaped curved shape, the clear segmentation, the light, yellowish to creamy white color and the 3 kinked pairs of breastbones.

Useful and harmful grubs

Who you should welcome

Not all grubs are harmful to garden crops, some are quite useful too. In order to avoid unnecessary control and not to spurn free help, it is good to be able to identify the useful species. The following are particularly useful:

• Rose chafer grubs
• Rhinoceros beetle grubs

They feed exclusively on dead plant material and can therefore produce valuable permanent humus on the compost where they prefer to live.

On the one hand, they can be identified simply by their place of residence on the compost. Rhinoceros beetle grubs are also noticeably large at 7-10 centimeters;

Who causes harm

On the other hand, the following are particularly harmful:

• Cockchafer grubs and
• June beetle grubs.

They indulge in the roots of living plants, especially grass and delicate vegetable and berry plants. The damage shows up accordingly in dead, easily removable lawn islands and caring bedding plants. Garden beetle larvae also feed on living roots, but are only about one centimeter long smaller than the 5-7 cm long cockchafer and junk beetle grubs and therefore cause negligible damage at.

Control measures

In general, you should use methods that are as gentle as possible when fighting white grubs. Because they do the best for the biological balance of your garden and the environment. The ecological, near-natural options can be divided into the following categories:

1. Mechanical removal
2. Strategic, targeted combat
3. Deterrent and defensive measures

1. Mechanical removal

Dig up and collect

If you see lawn and bedding damage that suggests a grub infestation, you can First of all, take the most direct route: dig up the ground on the spot and go hunting for white grubs walk. Depending on the firmness of the soil and the extent of the infestation, however, shrinkage is inevitable. Getting all of the grubs is pretty unlikely.

Squirting

With grubs in flower pots you can also use a Garden hose or arm a low pressure cleaner and spray out the root ball of individual plants.

2. Strategic combat

Lure upwards when wet

You can proceed a little more indirectly by luring the grubs out through intensive watering. Like earthworms, the beetle larvae are driven to the surface of the earth when it rains. So if you water a bed heavily or put potted plants in an immersion bath, the pests will go to the surface where you can collect them.

Insert nematodes

A fairly reliable method is the use of predatory nematodes. Such parasitic roundworms colonize the grubs and release bacteria into their bloodstream that kill them. Predatory nematodes of the predatory genus Heterorhabditis, which can be purchased in specialist gardening shops or on the Internet and applied via the irrigation water, are suitable.

Engerling trap

An effective and gentle method, albeit one that requires patience, is a grubs trap. It is easy to set up and brings the pests together in one place, where they can then be removed in one go. Fill a bucket with it to just below the brim Horse manure and dig it in the infested place Garden soil a. It should stay there for a year until the grubs have crawled into the seductive dung and can simply be taken out of the ground with the bucket.

Deadly plants

Some plants are toxic to grubs - and yet they don't stop at their roots when they eat. So you are unknowingly killing yourself. These plants include Geraniums and delphinium.

3. Deterrent and defensive measures

Deterrent plants

Certain plants have a deterrent effect on the adult beetles and prevent them from laying eggs. This includes, above all, garlic. If you plant garlic plants in beds and balcony pots, you can prevent white grub colonization.

Mosquito nets

The stretching of insect protection nets during the flight times of the beetles is very useful in order not to get into trouble with the larvae in the first place. In order to be able to initiate the measure in good time, it is of course necessary to follow the May and June bug years and to prepare the nets in the corresponding years from May.

insecticides

Insecticides should always be the last resort. After all, they not only kill unwanted pests in an unsightly way, but also beneficial insects and plants. Agents offered in specialist shops include products such as the harmful Kwizda Agritox EngerlingFree, Bayer's “Against Engerlings in Lawn” or calcium cyanamide granules.