To repair damaged lawns: Lightly rake over damaged turf areas to remove the thatch and debris. If you’ve had a bad infestation, apply it in the spring too, early April to the end of May while doing your other spring lawn jobs. As with many pest infestations that affect our garden plants and soil, there is no quick-fix solution for Chafer Beetle damage. What is the life cycle of the European chafer? Irrigate the entire lawn to germinate the grass seed and strengthen existing grass. The European chafer does not generally cause damage to lawns or other vegetation at this time. She has training in landscaping and a certification in medicinal herbs from a botanical sanctuary. Another measure you can take is to keep your soil stocked up with Nematodes during the Spring and Autumn. Other than in lawns, chafer grubs are rarely cause damage to garden plants. If you have a small lawn you can get away with digging the area over but be prepared for hard work. First, small irregular patches of a lawn will appear brown, dry and wilted. Walk the aerator across your lawn like a mower, covering the whole area with at least one pass. These youngsters might not cause a problem for a year or two but when they reach maturity, you might have to go through all this again. For this reason, late summer and early autumn are ideal for treating active grubs, before they burrow deeper when temperatures drop. The University of Minnesota has a great information on lawn problems. Most well-maintained lawns have them and aren’t negatively affected. If you live in rural areas, you might also start to find molehills appearing as they look for food. They emerge from the soil – where the grub has been feeding on roots for most of the year – in mid June depending upon seasonal fluctuations. Alternatively, you might want to apply Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer (see above). Previously, Nematodes were the only natural form of defence against the Chafer Beetle Grub. A tiny beetle is coursing massive damage to golf ... estimated at £85 million a year from lost income and damage repair, so the search is on for an effective solution. A tiny beetle is coursing massive damage to golf ... estimated at £85 million a year from lost income and damage repair, so the search is on for an effective solution. The European chafer, Rhizotrogus majalis, is native to western and central Europe. Measure the damaged areas. Frustrated residents of Vancouver have become accustomed to the tell-tale signs of the European Chafer Beetle – dry and withered grass, brown patches defiling a once beautiful green lawn, unwelcome animals digging and ripping up the yard, and of course, the beetle larvae themselves present underneath the shriveled remains. It may look like crows are maliciously destroying your lawn. Lawns and grass fields torn up by crows and raccoons in search of chafer beetles could cost thousands of dollars to repair, according to Port Coquitlam and … Go across the lawn again at a right angle to the first rows. University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Lawn Insects, University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Replant with Seed, Sod, Sprigs, Stolons, Plugs, University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: How to Apply Fertilizer, University of California Green Bulletin: Diagnosing Lawn Disorders, University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Planting Times and Rates for Grasses that can be Established from Seed, Cornell University: A Grub's Life, Egg to Beetle. At Bur-Han Garden & Lawn Care, we know that chafer beetles can cause long-lasting damage to your lawn. The fact is, they are not the... Monitor your lawn for infestations. This microbial insecticide has recently been registered for use in Canada for control of European chafer. It is best to repair your grub-damaged lawn in the fall or early spring to restore it to its green glory. The beetle damage will be a relatively short span of time, for the life cycle of the Chafer Beetle, includes the adult form living for just a few weeks. However, if your lawn resembles the dinner table of the local wildlife, you need to act. They’re part of the natural balance of living organisms that inhabit your turf. In previous years, I have seen many lawns with netting over the lawn, or CD’s stuck in the lawn. Some people opt to keep their lawns and some switch to alternatives. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If parts of your lawn turn yellow, remove a small section of turf and if it’s full of grubs, then you’ve got a problem. Keep your lawn well-watered and you should see new grass shoots appearing after 10-14 days. Lawn damage as the wildlife starts ripping and pulling moss, grass and thatch out of the lawn. Read: How to Scarify Your Lawn From Start to Finish. Also Read: Which is the Best Lawn Scarifier? These worms then reproduce inside the dead grubs and a new generation is released to prey on more Chafer Grubs. Dispose of or compost the dead grass. One application might kill the older, more active grubs that are close to the surface but chances are there will be younger grubs hiding deeper in the soil. Part of this difference may occur because the European chafer spends a longer portion of the summer feeding on turf. Hardware store and garden centers rent aerators. Stag beetles are uncommon and cause no damage in gardens and should be welcomed. The European chafer is a very serious grub pest of turf and can cause more turf damage than the Japanese beetle. So it’s important to overseed with a good quality grass seed. “White Grub” is a catchall name for a variety of mostly indistinguishable larval forms of a variety of beetles. We are reader-supported: © 2020 GardenSeeker.com. Tread your lawn with them once a week during the months of March, April and May, then in September and October. The City is implementing a range of turf care and Chafer beetle control measures, including removing and repairing damaged grass, and applying nematodes. Prevention. Product #: gm1074167566 $ 33.00 iStock In stock This is the result of birds like Jays, Magpies, Rooks and Crows tearing up the lawn so they can feed on the larvae. In most cases, the presence of Chafer Grubs in your lawn is nothing to worry about. GardenSeeker.com is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. All Rights Reserved. However, Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer only works when; This means applying it in the Autumn, typically late August through to the end of October. You can easily fix your damaged lawn with some soil and seed. Yellow patches of grass could be caused by other things so if you see it, don’t automatically assume it’s Chafer Grubs. For quicker repairs, cover the bare spots with sod. Some people opt to keep their lawns and some switch to alternatives. I always knew what the cheapest fix was for a lawn damaged by animals searching for Chafer beetle grubs. In Michigan, the European chafer is now common through all of the Lo… If you find more than 5-10 grubs per section, you may have an infestation to treat. Still, it is possible to return your lawn to its former glory. Lay the sod over the area and water until it is established. Mow grass between 2.5”-3” cm. However, an infestation of Chafer Grubs can cause a lot of damage to a lawn. The European chafer beetle isn’t leaving our West Coast landscapes anytime soon so we fight. In order to effectively treat (or prevent) a Chafer Grub infestion it helps to understand the life cycle of a Chafer Beetle. Female beetles burrow into the soil during the summer. The European Chafer (Rhizotrogus majalis) and Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) are two of the most common. Aerating keeps your lawn healthier and allows treatments to absorb better, which prevents the extent of insect damage in the future and gives you quicker growth in damaged areas. Water is essential to the health of your lawn but keep watering to a minimum during the summer months. Damage caused by white grubs initially resembles drought stress. Depending on the severity of the infestation you may choose to do one of two things; My preferred method is to replace the lawn, especially if the infestation is particularly bad. 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