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lawn grubs
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Posted by rose_qld Aust (My Page) on Sat, Apr 1, 06 at 16:16
| Apparently it's lawn grubs that are laying waste to lawns (multiple species of grass in our case) in Mackay. These came along after the 12 inches of rain in Feb/March. Turning the areas into garden isn't under consideration at this point.
Any thoughts on a bird-friendly control? See the predator wasps flying about but it's hard to imagine there are enough. Anyone know how long the larvae persist in feeding activity?
Help....I need to be seen to be doing something, asking here counts towards that.
Thanks!
Rose |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: lawn grubs
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| g'day rose, this late in the year you could of course do nothing! i is starting to get cool so these may not even pupate properly. if you are going to sue chemicals spray last thing in the evening so the birds don't get the dying grubs. the best deterrent for grubs is to leave the clip on the ground at all times, do' use chemical mand made high nitrogen fertilisers. they will not kill the lawn only make it look bad, the lawn will rejuvenate when the grusb hafve moved on, they don't hang around after they have eated the clip. this happened to us in the flood they ahd when we where there you could see the grubs marching across the streets going from lawn to lawn. len |
Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page
RE: lawn grubs
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| Doing nothing sounds good to me, len, especially at the moment. Talking to someone western suburbs of Brisbane this morning, she had a jumper on. Not jumper weather here tho. I guess the birds don't recognise a dead grub as tucker so they're safe the next morning. Pity the grubs don't target the legume and broadleaf weeds, they are getting away and how. To think of all the aerating we did a few months ago. Better pull out the pH kit and start from basics. No, don't use potent N fertilisers. Cheers
Rose |
RE: lawn grubs
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| A couple of years ago I purchased some nematodes that control curl grubs and scarab beetles larva through the mail. I got them from the CSIRO. If you do a search on google you will find them. You just mix the stuff in water with a bit of vegemite for food and water them in. They work!! |
RE: lawn grubs
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| best bet rose! do nothing use time for other things. just been looking at some yards around her that had major grub attack a few weeks ago they are all green again as the grub has pupated, turned into a moth a flown away looking for greener pastures, just how it is. the yard where i am and many others had no major problems as there are no fertilisers used. len |
RE: lawn grubs
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| A radio gardener recently advised watering an area and laying black plastic over it. The grubs come up under the plastic, and you strip back the plastic in the morning for the birds to have a feed. I haven't tried this myself as i don't consider the non garden areas here to be lawn - just dried grass. |
RE: lawn grubs
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- Posted by neely VIC Aust (My Page) on
Sun, Apr 2, 06 at 21:59
| I know this is going to sound so obvious to some people but when you talk about curl grubs or lawn grubs, do you mean those dark grey grubs that curl in on themselves to form a circle? ...and they are often in the garden soil as well or sometimes on the surface under bushes. |
RE: lawn grubs
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| Today I have to confess that I've done the hessian bag thing for accurate diagnosis rather than hearsay and the critters are army worms. Here's a pretty ordinary pic but you get the idea. Are the wasps only after curl grubs so that mean we may have both?! 
neely, that sounds like curl grubs. More info here: http://www.annettemcfarlane.com/Pests.htm Rose |
RE: lawn grubs
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| yep that's one sort rose, there are a couple of varities but that is the most common and the most ferocious eater. it will also invade your gardens. if you have some hungry magpies or butcher birds around even kookaburras they should do a good job of control. len |
Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page
RE: lawn grubs
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| Plenty of black n white birds here, when they stop discussing territories hopefully they might work on the pests a bit harder. Sister reminded me that the worst *drought* seen on a large property near here was due to army worm. Just curious yesterday to see what the wider gardening community is buying for chemical control. The Baythroid lawn grub insecticide which is a synthetic pyrethroid is the big seller, none left in town. Less than impressed to have someone try to sell me the chlorpyrifos solution w/out mentioning the toxicity to birds and even more so when she suggested the chlorpyrifos ant granules would *work* too.
Rose |
RE: lawn grubs
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| Just home after 2 weeks to discover our newly laid turf was all brown even after heaps of rain. My husband went to Bunnings for advice and was given grub destroyer. I was absolutley devastated when I found out how toxic the spray was (chrorpyrifos). We have a toddler who put every thing in his mouth. We can't go outside for out least three weeks. Apparently in stays in the soil for at least 8 months!!!! Does anyone have any environmently sound and chemical free ideas to get rid of lawn grubs or even a deterrent rather than put my child at risk. I've been told they usually come back every year but I refuse to use that toxic spray again!!!!! |
RE: lawn grubs
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| Could you please tell me if Bug Zappers help to control the lawn grub moth. We have moth eggs all over our verandah ceiling. |
RE: lawn grubs
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Murray,
The bug zapper should help as most moths are attracted to them.
You should also try to control the larvae as these cause the lawn damage etc.
Try using beneficial nematodes which are biological non-toxic worms that invade the larvae and kill the grubs. They are harmless to everything else in the soil.
As Robert says above, you could get them from the CSIRO, but they are now available commercially and used by parks and councils. Try www.ecogrow.com.au. |
RE: lawn grubs
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| Sadly chemicals kill the wasps that prey on the grubs, most important don't delay in acting. Most people leave it to late to start treatments. None chemical treatments are by far the best for the safety of birds and the good insects needed in the garden. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Maccotter Pest Control
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