Grubs help!!

[Jessielynns]

So last year we got a new house that had planters already installed. We planted a great fruit and Vegetable garden and got raided by spider mites and grubs after trying several organic options finally we tried pesticides as a last ditch effort to save our garden. In the end we pulled everything and decided to try again this year. So I decided a few months before we were going to plant we would completely treat the soil kill everything off and then take out the majority of the soil and Put fresh soil in. So two weeks ago I did treat it and everyday since I have pulled out 20-30 grubs. EVERYDAY they are alive and wiggling at the surface. I don’t even understand how there could be this many. But I am out of ideas how do I get rid of these things for good?

 

[Jessielynns]

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

Getting rid of grubs (Scarabidae beetle larvae) requires ongoing care. Finding and removing them during tilling and planting is a helpful method of controlling their numbers. You don't need to find every last grub, just keep the numbers down to prevent excessive root damage. Another great method is using beneficial nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora or Steinernema glaseri). They are often purchased by mail order and should be applied when the grubs are most active. This is often Summer and Fall, but it seems your grubs are active now.

Don't use pesticides, especially broad-spectrum pesticides that kill everything. Doing so, also wipes out beneficial insects, such as predators and parasitoids. Often the pest species rebound long before the beneficials do, and without these natural controls the damage can be much worse. Which leads to a vicious cycle of more pesticide use.

 

[Jessielynns]

Thank you so much! That makes me feel a lot better. Just continue to pull and remove as I see them. I was thinking we had to have them all gone before we planted! I will also look online and see if I can find nematodes to purchase. We are really trying to avoid pesticides because we want to eat everything and I don’t want to use all those chemicals. Also we have tons of lizards so I don’t want to do anything that could harm them. I really appreciate the advice last year was frustrating hopefully this year we will be a lot more successful!

 

[roadrunner]

Moles love grubs, so I leave them in the soil for the moles, which also aerate the soil as they hunt. I also position logs so they attract grubs for the woodpeckers.

 

[Marck]

I wouldn't rely on moles (Talpidae) to deal with grubs in a planter, or even in the ground unless one was certain there was an active population in the garden.

Still, it is a nice idea to leave the grubs outside on a tray, where birds and other wildlife might have their fill.
If not dead, by non-toxic means of course, place the tray where there is no chance of them returning to the soil.

 

[roadrunner]

I wouldn't rely on moles (Talpidae) to deal with grubs in a planter, or even in the ground unless one was certain there was an active population in the garden.

Still, it is a nice idea to leave the grubs outside on a tray, where birds and other wildlife might have their fill.
If not dead, by non-toxic means of course, place the tray where there is no chance of them returning to the soil.

I have to admit, I sometimes feel as though I'm not a gardener, rather a promoter of habitat....Maybe I belong in another forum