Garden chafer
Serious damage to turfs and lawns? That might be caused by beetle larvae, which are also known as grubs. The most common species of grubs is the garden chafer Phyllopertha horticola. Do you want to get rid of this harmful species? Choose biological control!
What damage can garden chafers cause?
- In summer, grubs feed on roots. They cause growing problems to the affected spots of the lawn that turns yellow-brown.
- The turf or lawn can come loose and it may even be possible to roll up the turf or lawn in case of heavy infestation. Up to 100 grubs can be present underneath the divot.
- In periods of drought, the affected and damaged areas can scorch and die.
- Grubs attract moles and birds causing secondary damage.
How to control garden chafers?
For biological control of the garden chafer, you can rely on the beneficial nematodes B-Green®.
What are the characteristics of garden chafers?
- In late spring and early summer adult garden chafers fly low above the soil surface.
- The adults measure 8 to 12 mm and have red-brown, hairy wings with a dark edge.
- They have a metallic green to shiny black neck shield.
- Grubs have a beige-white body with a brown head and 3 pairs of legs.
What about the garden chafer’s life cycle?
- Mating takes place during the first night that adults are active.
- Immediately after mating, females crawl into the ground to lay 85 % of the eggs.
- For 3 weeks, adults feed on buds and leaves before laying the remaining percentage of the eggs.
- After 3 to 6 weeks, the first grubs appear and immediately start eating until mid-autumn.
- The larval stages live up to 1 year.
- The larvae move deeper in the soil to hibernate when temperatures drop in autumn.
- The white grubs pupate in early spring when temperatures start rising and they reappear as adult garden chafers in late spring.
