It's spring again and we're spending more time in the garden. This makes it easy to notice how many insects live in it. While some garden inhabitants make an important contribution to life in nature through pollination, there are also others that we would rather do without. These include, for example, the beetle larvae that hatch between May and June, which is why they are sometimes also referred to as May and June beetle larvae and can cause great damage to your lawn and beds. We give you a few ideas on how you can fight grubs.
Fighting grubs – you have to keep this in mind
Identify grub species
The grubs are the beetle larvae of the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. The most well-known species of beetle include the May and June beetles, the garden leaf beetles, rose beetles and rhinoceros beetles. While the larvae of May, June and garden beetles are considered pests, the larvae of rose and rhinoceros beetles are beneficial insects that are veryvaluable in compost heapsare. That is why they are “specially protected” species according to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance. According to Section 44 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, it is forbidden to “catch, injure or kill them or to remove, damage or destroy their developmental forms from nature”.
It is very important that you can identify the species of larvae. Rose beetle grubs are slightly thicker at the back than at the front and crawl on their backs. For example, these beetle larvae, together with fungi and bacteria in the compost, can promote the breakdown of organic material, thereby making an important contribution to the formation of useful humus. May and June beetle grubs, which have a C-shaped, yellowish-whitish appearance, are equally thick at the front and back and crawl on their stomachs.
Damage in the garden
In most cases, the damage caused by the May and June beetle larvae is minimal, but when the larvae gather in a cluster, large areas of the lawn can become damaged and dry out due to a lack of water and nutrients. Further damage can occur when common predators such as magpies, foxes, badgers and starlings tear up your lawn to find these protein-rich animals lying a few centimeters below the surface.
If you see brown spots in your lawn during the warmer seasons, these dead spots may be due to grubs that have eaten and killed your lawn. Check the sod by taking out a small piece: if it comes off easily and there are no roots, May and June beetle larvae are the likely cause.
These white larvae can also attack vegetable beds andInfect garden borders, they can kill early vegetables, strawberries and bedding plants. Sometimes they also eat potatoes or flower bulbs. Overall, grub damage to beds is rarely significant, so don't worry too much.
What helps against May and June beetle larvae?
Add nematodes to the irrigation water
Since May and June beetle larvae live in the soil, you need an insecticide that can be watered through the lawn and into the soil where it can reach them. Order nematodes online or find them in store. They work in a natural way and are easy to use in the long term because they are quite easy to use. You need one pack of nematodes for a lawn area of around twenty square meters.
For these types of grubs that reproduce over a long period of time, you will need to treat both the existing larvae and their eggs or newly hatched larvae. You can use a preventative pesticide that kills the grubs over a longer period of time so that when the eggs hatch, they are killed immediately. Alternatively, you can use a chemical pesticide that will control both the larvae and the unhatched eggs.
Don't forget yoursdead lawnsrepair by replacing or reseeding the turf.
Fight grubs with home remedies
Mix 3 tablespoons of dish soap in 4 liters of water. Spray a 2 square meter area with the mixture. Wait 10 minutes and count the number of larvae. If there are more than five larvae per square meter, the infestation is severe enough to require treatment. The grubs come to the surface where they can be brushed off and disposed of. They make excellent bird food. On larger areas, they can be brought to the surface by first ventilating and then soaking the ground with a highly concentrated wetting agent (e.g. dishwashing liquid).
Rent chickens if possible
If you can find a few chickens, that is a perfect solution to the problem. Give this a dayin her gardengo for a walk because the chickens peck the larvae out of the ground. This is a real feast for them and you have eliminated the May and June beetle larvae.
Fight grubs with certain plants
The larvae don't particularly like some plants - for example:Geranium roots, delphinium and garlic are poisonous to them. Plant them in the garden as a natural way to keep grubs away.
Prevention of root-eating larvae
You can't really control nature, but you can still take precautions. Monitor nearby lawns for grub problems that could spread to your lawns. Keep an eye out for signs, especially in wet weather. Watch for signs ofspongy lawnsor dead spots. Always treat the problems immediately so that you don't have to get rid of possible beetle larvae later.
