Andrew said:


Thanks a lot - that's exactly what it is... I am in Virginia (as you
saw in my other post).

Any ideas how to get rid of them?

Not likely to get rid of them. You can do your best to hand-pick
adult beetles. (Be aware that they are most active at night.)

You can possibly get some control the grub stage using beneficial
nematodes (Steinernema sp.-- environmentally safe, pricy)
or an application of a pesticide to the lawn with the active ingredient
Imidacloprid (under suspicion as one of the elements in the decline
of honeybees).

Keeping the lawn mown tall, and watered through the summer is
also recommended as the beetles prefer it shorter and drier.

Pheremones sprays and traps with pheremones lures are being
used to disrupt the beetles reproductive cycle.

http://www.uri.edu/ce/healthylandscapes/OBcontrol.html

Paper on use of pheremones:
http://usgatero.msu.edu/v05/n15.pdf

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

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