Bad Bug Profile: Grubs

Grub Whenever I poke around in our soil, I usually come across some big white grubs. Grubs are the larval form of scarab beetles, a large family which includes over a thousand species in the U.S. and Canada. The best known of these is the Japanese Beetle, which can be identified by looking at the nearly microscopic hair patterns at the butt end of the grub.

I consider grubs to be bad news, and in many cases they are since they turn into pest beetles or eat plant roots. On the other hand, some grubs are useful since they decompose organic matter in the soil. Regardless, I toss them all into the chicken coop and watch the hens fight over these fat bundles of protein, along with the worms Mark adds to sweeten the pot.

Species: Many species in Scarabaeidae (Scarab family)

Plants Affected: Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) feed on the leaves of grapes, apples, plums, cherries, strawberries, and various ornamentals. Some grubs feed on plant roots.

Related Species: Other common white grubs turn into June Beetles and several other species.

Natural Enemies: Parasitic wasps, diseases including Milky Spore, nematodes.

Organic Control: Traps may be worse than useless since they'll lure your neighbor's Japanese Beetles into your garden. Luckily, both the adults and grubs are very easy to handpick and the chickens love them.

Read other posts about Organic Insect Control:

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