Tag: japanese beetle

Are Grubs Destroying Your Lawn?

~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

Many people are discovering that grubs, the larvae of some beetles, can destroy your lawn if not detected early and treated.

Although the most common destructive grub in Canada was originally from the native June bug, recent introductions of the Japanese beetle and the European chafer within the Niagara region have resulted in their migration further east and north in Ontario, causing havoc to lawns in eastern Ontario.

Adult June bugs are a shiny red-brown color, reaching up to 1 inch in length.  The Japanese beetle is much smaller, less than 1/2 inch long, with a metallic bronze and green color.  An adult European chafer is similar in size to the Japanese beetle, but tan or light brown in color.

All of these grubs have c-shaped bodies and six legs, however, the June bug larvae are white, while the larvae of the Japanese beetle and European chafer are a beige color. Upon hatching the grubs are tiny but reach a mature size of up to 1.5 inches.

grubs
june bug grubs
grubs, japanese beetle
grubs, European Chaffer

Another major difference between the types of grubs is that the June bugs take 3 years to mature while the Japanese beetle and European chafer only take one year.  As a result, infestations of white grubs (June bugs larvae) happen every third year, while infestations of the other two types can happen annually.

grubs

Hopefully, you will not experience the damage these grubs can do!  If you do, I hope these tips help get rid of them quickly.

Larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer and Japanese Beetle detest this cold Weather too…

~ Loreeebee ~ 1 Comment

It gives me great pleasure to tell you that we humans are not the only ones that suffer in this cold winter weather.  The larvae of the destructive emerald ash borer and japanese beetle also have a difficult time surviving temperatures colder than -25C .

The larvae of the japanese beetles (grubs)  burrow into the soil in our gardens and lawns each fall to survive the winter weather. Generally, the colder the air temperature, the deeper they burrow, to try to escape the frigid and lethal temperatures.  If they cannot get deep enough (below the frost level) they die, resulting in less destruction in our yards the following summer.  So, these cold spells we have been experiencing are great, especially when the temperature drops quickly since the larvae do not have time to get below the frost level in the ground.

Another point I should make: the poorer the condition of your soil, the deeper and faster they can burrow and the greater chance they survive, so if you get to nothing else in your yard maintenance, amend your soil often!

The larvae of the emerald ash borer overwinter within the outer bark layer of the ash trees.  They too do not tolerate the very cold temperatures, which can kill the larvae or stunt and delay its growth.

I hope this information warms your heart the next time the temperature dips below the comfort zone of  humans; we are not alone in our hatred of this cold weather!