Is it normal for large insects (grubs???) to infest a healthy(???)
compost pile? Mine is about 4' square, only a foot deep at the moment
though. I've some fruit and vegetable scraps in it, lots of grass
clippings, some steer manure (treated stuff), sand and dirt, egg shells,
coffee grounds etc. I dumped in a pile of potato skins tonight and when
I turned it found a bunch of what appear to be grubs, but a WHOLE LOT
BIGGER than what I've ever seen in the past. I had small ones maybe 1"
long and a ¼" thick at most in my lawn years ago. Whats in the compost
pile looks to be the same color with a transparent white body, but the
head is not dark black, and they're curled the same but were over ½"
thick and probably 2"+ long if uncurled. Some really healthy suckers.
Oh, and ugly too! My 3 year old grandaughter thought they were "Cool
Grampa, lets find more!"

"Grandpa" jsdebooATcomcast.net wrote in message
...
Is it normal for large insects (grubs???) to infest a healthy(???)
compost pile? Mine is about 4' square, only a foot deep at the moment
though. I've some fruit and vegetable scraps in it, lots of grass
clippings, some steer manure (treated stuff), sand and dirt, egg shells,
coffee grounds etc. I dumped in a pile of potato skins tonight and when
I turned it found a bunch of what appear to be grubs, but a WHOLE LOT
BIGGER than what I've ever seen in the past. I had small ones maybe 1"
long and a ¼" thick at most in my lawn years ago. Whats in the compost
pile looks to be the same color with a transparent white body, but the
head is not dark black, and they're curled the same but were over ½"
thick and probably 2"+ long if uncurled. Some really healthy suckers.
Oh, and ugly too! My 3 year old grandaughter thought they were "Cool
Grampa, lets find more!"


Yes. Very normal.

Fito

Those are perfectly normal and a sign your compost IS healthy. They are
rhinoceros beetle grubs. They are usually about the size of a human thumb.

Victoria

On Sat, 01 May 2004 20:38:36 -0600, Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net opined:

Is it normal for large insects (grubs???) to infest a healthy(???)
compost pile? Mine is about 4' square, only a foot deep at the moment
though. I've some fruit and vegetable scraps in it, lots of grass
clippings, some steer manure (treated stuff), sand and dirt, egg shells,
coffee grounds etc. I dumped in a pile of potato skins tonight and when
I turned it found a bunch of what appear to be grubs, but a WHOLE LOT
BIGGER than what I've ever seen in the past. I had small ones maybe 1"
long and a ¼" thick at most in my lawn years ago. Whats in the compost
pile looks to be the same color with a transparent white body, but the
head is not dark black, and they're curled the same but were over ½"
thick and probably 2"+ long if uncurled. Some really healthy suckers.
Oh, and ugly too! My 3 year old grandaughter thought they were "Cool
Grampa, lets find more!"

"escapee" wrote in message
...
Those are perfectly normal and a sign your compost IS healthy. They are
rhinoceros beetle grubs. They are usually about the size of a human
thumb.


how can you tell what kind of beetle they're from just from that
description? most grubs look pretty similar to me in person, let alone in
text.

just curious...

-kelly

On Sat, 1 May 2004 20:32:15 -0700, "culprit"
wrote:

how can you tell what kind of beetle they're from just from that
description? most grubs look pretty similar to me in person, let alone in
text.


By the size description....... they are also known as Hercules
beetle and Horned beetle in different parts of the country.



Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

It is said that the early bird gets the worm,
but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net wrote in message ...
Is it normal for large insects (grubs???) to infest a healthy(???)
compost pile? Mine is about 4' square, only a foot deep at the moment
though. I've some fruit and vegetable scraps in it, lots of grass
clippings, some steer manure (treated stuff), sand and dirt, egg shells,
coffee grounds etc. I dumped in a pile of potato skins tonight and when
I turned it found a bunch of what appear to be grubs, but a WHOLE LOT
BIGGER than what I've ever seen in the past. I had small ones maybe 1"
long and a ¼" thick at most in my lawn years ago. Whats in the compost
pile looks to be the same color with a transparent white body, but the
head is not dark black, and they're curled the same but were over ½"
thick and probably 2"+ long if uncurled. Some really healthy suckers.
Oh, and ugly too! My 3 year old grandaughter thought they were "Cool
Grampa, lets find more!"


Don't know where you are from, but have seen news reports on the 17
year cicada maturing this year. They would be about the size you
describe and starting to surface this spring and summer.

The compost pile will attract earthworms, grubs, sow bugs, and insects
that help in reducing course vegetation to compost. If your compost
pile is too "cool" add some green material (green leaves or grass
clippings) or nitrogen to help heat it up. However it is early and
the warmth will attract the above (usually around the edges and
deeper)

These grubs are the larvae of Lucanids and will grow into what are
commonly called "Stag Beetles"
See link below
http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/usa.html

That's the size for sure, biggest hummers I've seen in awhile.

escapee wrote:

Those are perfectly normal and a sign your compost IS healthy. They are
rhinoceros beetle grubs. They are usually about the size of a human thumb.

Victoria

I'm in Albuquerque, NM, zone 7. The Chicada thing is a possibility too
as they are here in numbers often, however I've not seen many in the
last 10+ years. They sure are annoying when they land on you, and noisy
too. Wife had one get in her hair once years ago and I thought she was
going to go totally insane trying to get it out of her hair.

Whatever they are they sure are UGLY looking! I'm assuming that neither
(beetle or chicada) would be bad for the compost pile.

wrote:


Don't know where you are from, but have seen news reports on the 17
year cicada maturing this year. They would be about the size you
describe and starting to surface this spring and summer.

The compost pile will attract earthworms, grubs, sow bugs, and insects
that help in reducing course vegetation to compost. If your compost
pile is too "cool" add some green material (green leaves or grass
clippings) or nitrogen to help heat it up. However it is early and
the warmth will attract the above (usually around the edges and
deeper)

Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net wrote in
:

Is it normal for large insects (grubs???) to infest a healthy(???)
compost pile? Mine is about 4' square, only a foot deep at the moment
though. I've some fruit and vegetable scraps in it, lots of grass
clippings, some steer manure (treated stuff), sand and dirt, egg shells,
coffee grounds etc. I dumped in a pile of potato skins tonight and when
I turned it found a bunch of what appear to be grubs, but a WHOLE LOT
BIGGER than what I've ever seen in the past. I had small ones maybe 1"
long and a ¼" thick at most in my lawn years ago. Whats in the compost
pile looks to be the same color with a transparent white body, but the
head is not dark black, and they're curled the same but were over ½"
thick and probably 2"+ long if uncurled. Some really healthy suckers.
Oh, and ugly too! My 3 year old grandaughter thought they were "Cool
Grampa, lets find more!"


I don't remember ever seeing any grubs in my smaller (~2' diameter),
covered compost pile, but it is mostly leaves and in SE Virginia.

On Sun, 02 May 2004 09:34:54 -0600, Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net
wrote:

The Chicada thing is a possibility too
as they are here in numbers often, however I've not seen many in the
last 10+ years. They sure are annoying when they la


Sure there would be no confusing the two. The cicada will be brownish
and visible legs easily seen, where the grub you saw probably was
laying in the shape of a "C".


Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!


It is said that the early bird gets the worm,
but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

On Sun, 02 May 2004 03:08:59 GMT, escapee
wrote:

Those are perfectly normal and a sign your compost IS healthy.
Also a sign the compost never went to temperature meeting USDA
guidelines and may be of poor quality....
Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a pine, one need only own a shovel.
-- Aldo Leopold

Lar wrote:

On Sun, 02 May 2004 09:34:54 -0600, Grandpa jsdebooATcomcast.net
wrote:

The Chicada thing is a possibility too
as they are here in numbers often, however I've not seen many in the
last 10+ years. They sure are annoying when they la


Sure there would be no confusing the two. The cicada will be brownish
and visible legs easily seen, where the grub you saw probably was
laying in the shape of a "C".

Probably the Grub then, but there appeared to be legs or lines that
might develop into them along the inside of the 'C'(lots of them), more
like a 'shrimp' looking thing in that sense.

On Sat, 1 May 2004 20:32:15 -0700, "culprit" opined:


"escapee" wrote in message
.. .
Those are perfectly normal and a sign your compost IS healthy. They are
rhinoceros beetle grubs. They are usually about the size of a human
thumb.


how can you tell what kind of beetle they're from just from that
description? most grubs look pretty similar to me in person, let alone in
text.

just curious...

-kelly


I don't know of any other grub which is as large as was described and it is a
very common grub found in healthy compost piles. So, I suppose I knew by
process of elimination of the smaller beetle grubs, commonly found also in
either compost piles (beneficial) or eating roots of turfgrass (not beneficial).

On 2 May 2004 07:06:33 -0700, opined:

Don't know where you are from, but have seen news reports on the 17
year cicada maturing this year. They would be about the size you
describe and starting to surface this spring and summer.

Cicada emerge as adults from the ground. Their larvae stay underground for the
duration of their long gestation.


The compost pile will attract earthworms, grubs, sow bugs, and insects
that help in reducing course vegetation to compost. If your compost
pile is too "cool" add some green material (green leaves or grass
clippings) or nitrogen to help heat it up. However it is early and
the warmth will attract the above (usually around the edges and
deeper)