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DITCHLING CORPORATION LIMITED
"Supplying professional Pest Control products since 1964"
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DITCHLING CORPORATION LIMITED
"Supplying professional Pest Control products since 1964"
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DESCRIPTION
The grubs have soft, white, curved bodies, large brown heads and six legs. They are very small when first hatched, but can 1½ inches when fully grown. The body segments are smooth and shiny with dark stomach content shewing through the rear sections. The grubs are found normally in a curled position in the soil.
DAMAGE
June Beetles feed on leaves of trees - Aspen, Chestnut, Elm, Maple, Oak, Poplar, Willow; sometimes they strip the leaves from shrubs, roses and raspberries.
White Grubs feed on the roots of plants and often cause dead areas in turf; as the root system is eaten, sections of the turf become brown and loose.
LIFE HISTORY
June Beetles emerge from the soil during late May and early June and fly in large numbers. They take to the air at dusk and feed and mate on the foliage of broad-leaved trees and shrubs. At daylight they seek out grassy areas or weedy places and burrow into the soil where females lay their eggs. The eggs hatch in a few weeks and for the remainder of the summer the young grubs feed on the roots of plants and decaying organic matter. In the Fall, when the temperature drops, they go down deep in the soil and remain there during the Winter. The following Spring, when the soil warms, they come up to within a few inches of the surface and feed ravenously on the roots of plants throughout the Summer. This is the second-year grub stage, and this is the period of their life cycle during which they do the most damage.
In the Fall , they go deep into the soil for the Winter and come up again the following Spring. The grubs then feed for a few weeks before pupating and changing to June Beetles. However, the June Beetles remain inactive in the soil until next Spring before taking flight. The life cycle is then complete and a new generation is started.
White Grubs require 3 years to complete their life cycle and while it is possible to find all stages in any one year, the majority will follow a 3 year pattern. Generally, outbreaks of White Grubs occur every 3 years with severest damage caused by second-year grubs.
Because of the widespread feeding habits of the beetles and the fact that they are usually on large trees, there is no practical method for controlling them in this stage of their life cycle.
Control measures should therefore be aimed at the larval or White Grub stage.
June Beetles do not remain on the same 3 year life cycle and in alternate years there may sufficient numbers in the first-year stage so that White Grub damage occurs in any year. It is, therefore, important that control measures be taken in any year when a heavy beetle flight occurs. It is much easier to control newly hatched White Grubs than older ones and protect the turf against severe injury. A lawn or turf area that is in poor condition may be completely ruined in a very short time by White Grubs. In order to minimize the effects, turf should be kept in healthy, vigorous growing condition at all times. If heavy flights of June Beetles appear in the area, or if White Grubs are found in the soil, the lawn should be treated.
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CONTROL
A few products are available for control of White Grubs, however they can only be purchased and applied by a Licensed Applicator.
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