Question about beetles and grubs
 

I live in northern Illinois. We've had very little rain. We go a
couple weeks with zero rain, then get a downpour of an inch or two,
which is great, actually. :)

This year we had the most massive Japanese beetle infestation I have
ever seen! Before I knew what hit me, three of my trees were
completely brown.

So, how do I take care of grubs? Will the beetles' eggs hatch this
year, or will they hatch next summer/spring?

From what I've read, Grub X is very dangerous. We have young children
and a dog, so I don't want to use dangerous chemicals.

Another problem is that I have 2 acres and no irrigation., and with no
rain in the forecast, it would be impossible to water anything in.

Can I wait until next spring to treat for grubs? Will a treatment
kill the eggs, or do the grubs have to be hatched and active?

Question about beetles and grubs
 

wrote in message
...
I live in northern Illinois. We've had very little rain. We go a
couple weeks with zero rain, then get a downpour of an inch or two,
which is great, actually. :)

This year we had the most massive Japanese beetle infestation I have
ever seen! Before I knew what hit me, three of my trees were
completely brown.

So, how do I take care of grubs? Will the beetles' eggs hatch this
year, or will they hatch next summer/spring?

From what I've read, Grub X is very dangerous. We have young children
and a dog, so I don't want to use dangerous chemicals.

Another problem is that I have 2 acres and no irrigation., and with no
rain in the forecast, it would be impossible to water anything in.

Can I wait until next spring to treat for grubs? Will a treatment
kill the eggs, or do the grubs have to be hatched and active?

There is no effective method of exterminating the grubs until they have
hatched. The best method of controlling them once hatched is with a product
that has an imidicloprid as it's active ingredient. Grub X is one of them.
Here in Canada we have Merit, which is only available to licensed
applicators.

I have had tremendous success with Merit. Averaging 200 applications /yr for
the last 4 years with virtually 100% control of grubs, even when I know that
the homeowners aren't watering the product in.

Insecticides which use imidicloprid are among the safest products available
and you shouldn't have any concerns regarding the children or pets. Just
make certain that you follow the manufacturer's application rate. If you are
concerned that you can't get it down accurately call in the pros. You will
want to get the product down right away as it's only effective on newly
hatched grubs.

If you wait until the spring to treat them you will be using carbamates and
organophosphates, which are much harsher chemicals and considerably less
effective.

Peter H

Question about beetles and grubs
 

Thanks for your replay.

Do the grubs "migrate" ?
That is, I can effectively treat my front and side yard, and water it
in. But my backyard is huge.

If I treat the front and side with Grub X, and water it in, will
grubs migrate from the backyard later on?
Or do they just hatch and stay where they are?

And should I do it now, or wait until I am no longer catching beetles
in my Bag-a-Bug?

Question about beetles and grubs
 

wrote in message
...
Thanks for your replay.

Do the grubs "migrate" ?
That is, I can effectively treat my front and side yard, and water it
in. But my backyard is huge.

If I treat the front and side with Grub X, and water it in, will
grubs migrate from the backyard later on?
Or do they just hatch and stay where they are?

The grubs won't migrate. Normally they move very slowly through the soil,
although they can move more quickly through sandy soil. As long as there is
food for them they will stay put. Your back lawn wouldn't infect your front
lawn.
Normally grubs will take a patch of lawn and then the birds and coons will
find them and thin them out.

The way that Grub X works is different than other insecticides though. It
will effectively prevent the tiny grubs from feeding at all and they starve
to death. This will only effect the newly hatched ones though. The adults
will not be affected at all.

And should I do it now, or wait until I am no longer catching beetles
in my Bag-a-Bug?

Now is the time to get it down. Grub X will have a long residual. The
organophosphates have a very short half life, but the Grub X will carry on
right through the summer. If you wait until August you may be too late.

Peter H

Question about beetles and grubs
 

Question about beetles and grubs
 

Question about beetles and grubs
 

"Peter H" wrote:
Now is the time to get it down. Grub X will have a long residual. The
organophosphates have a very short half life, but the Grub X will carry
on right through the summer. If you wait until August you may be too
late.

Peter H

He's real close to thw window shut on that too, Pete.

--
GO# 40

Question about beetles and grubs
 

Question about beetles and grubs
 

"Chet Hayes" wrote in message
om...
wrote in message
. ..
The beetles that you saw have layed their eggs. They will be hatching
around now. The larvae will start feeding on the roots of your grass,
starting near the surface. As the weather gets cooler, they move
deeper into the soil. Next spring, they return to the surface, then
later emerge again as beetles.

If you want to treat with a conventional product like diazanon, mid
august to early sept is the ideal time. At this stage, they are still
small, close to the surface and easier to kill. You do need to time
it before a rain so that it will get distributed into the soil before
it breaks down.

Grub-X works differently, by absorption into the grass plant itself.
Hence, it needs to go down earlier to be effective. It's supposed to
offer months of protection.

I'd wait unitl late Aug and then do some sampling. Cut and remove
some 1 sq ft sections of grass and count the number of grubs. 5 or
less, is ok, 10 or above is likely to cause noticeable damage to your
lawn. Then you can decide what to do.

If he waits until August he will be too late to use Grub X and will be stuck
using Diazinon etc. The kill rate with Diazinon etc. will be 50% or less. It
will take multiple applications and he will be using a much more toxic
product. He has children and pets that he's concerned about. What are the
chances that he'll get the application rate right? When he treats them and
finds that he's still got grubs a week later will he reapply and overload
the lawn?

Cutting squares in the sod to determine grub populations works, but you have
to know where to sample. Grubs work in patches. A homeowner could do samples
and never find a grub but still have a severe infestation.

Peter H

Question about beetles and grubs
 

THROW AWAY that jap beetle attractor, please!

Why?
My Lindens were covered with beetles, and the attractor got them off
of it.

Question about beetles and grubs
 

Question about beetles and grubs
 

Hmmm....I guess I'll know for next year.
Nice thing is, all the neighbors use them, so maybe they'll draw my
beetles away. :-)

I just put down two bags of GrubEx. That stuff's expensive...so I
only covered the front.

Question about beetles and grubs
 

I had the same problem in Chicago. I put down GrubX twice and keep
the lawn watered. Whichever tactic- it worked. It was suggested that
you should try to keep the grass as healthy as possible with LOTS of
water. Well, since residential water is unmetered in the city, I
watered and it worked.

..02

About chemicals- IIRC, there was something called nemotodes (or
something like that, which is a spore that poisons the grub). I don't
think it's available anymore. That was seen as "natural" and safer
way to combat grubs, but it took a couple of years. I think to really
do the job, you pretty much have to use *some* chemicals. I'm in the
same boat. I've got a little one, so I pull weeds out in the spring
by hand and try not to fertilize at all.

Good luck!

Question about beetles and grubs
 

Question about beetles and grubs
 

"He has children and pets that he's concerned about. What are the
chances that he'll get the application rate right? When he treats them
and
finds that he's still got grubs a week later will he reapply and
overload
the lawn?"

It was the original poster that didn't want to use Grub-X because he
had safety concerns with it. I don't know what he based this on.
However, Grux-X works by being absorbed by the grass and has a long
persistence. Does anyone know what implications this might have for
dogs which occasionally eat grass? At least with diazanon you can
keep the pets off for the short period that it's active. The Grub-X
will be there for several months.

As to not being able to apply chemicals correctly or follow the label
directions, that problem exists with any insecticide doesn't it?



"Peter H" wrote in message ble.rogers.com...
"Chet Hayes" wrote in message
om...
wrote in message
. ..
The beetles that you saw have layed their eggs. They will be hatching
around now. The larvae will start feeding on the roots of your grass,
starting near the surface. As the weather gets cooler, they move
deeper into the soil. Next spring, they return to the surface, then
later emerge again as beetles.

If you want to treat with a conventional product like diazanon, mid
august to early sept is the ideal time. At this stage, they are still
small, close to the surface and easier to kill. You do need to time
it before a rain so that it will get distributed into the soil before
it breaks down.

Grub-X works differently, by absorption into the grass plant itself.
Hence, it needs to go down earlier to be effective. It's supposed to
offer months of protection.

I'd wait unitl late Aug and then do some sampling. Cut and remove
some 1 sq ft sections of grass and count the number of grubs. 5 or
less, is ok, 10 or above is likely to cause noticeable damage to your
lawn. Then you can decide what to do.

If he waits until August he will be too late to use Grub X and will be stuck
using Diazinon etc. The kill rate with Diazinon etc. will be 50% or less. It
will take multiple applications and he will be using a much more toxic
product. He has children and pets that he's concerned about. What are the
chances that he'll get the application rate right? When he treats them and
finds that he's still got grubs a week later will he reapply and overload
the lawn?

Cutting squares in the sod to determine grub populations works, but you have
to know where to sample. Grubs work in patches. A homeowner could do samples
and never find a grub but still have a severe infestation.

Peter H