Chafer grubs
Fat, white, C-shaped grubs with a brown head and three pairs of legs live in the soil and eat roots. Plants wilt for no obvious reason and turf can be rolled back like a carpet.
They are the larvae of beetles such as the cockchafer, summer chafer and garden chafer, and live in the soil for one year or more.
What can you do?
- Dig around wilting plants and pick out the grubs; leave them where birds will find them.
- In August–September, water nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) onto moist soil of at least 12 °C.
- Let hedgehogs, starlings and crows do their work.
- Grubs in the compost heap are usually helpful rose chafer larvae: they eat dead material, so leave them be.
Prevention
A garden with hedgehogs and birds and a healthy lawn that isn’t mown too short are the best protection. Don’t plant into soil full of grubs without clearing them first.
When to watch out: April–June and August–September