They affect young apple trees, blackberries, corn, onions, potatoes, strawberries, and grass lawns.
Grubs are fat, whitish larvae, 3/4-1 1/2" long. The adult is the may beetle or june beetle. The larvae feed on roots and seldom cause noticable damage unless they get too numerous. They overwinter in the soil and are mostly common in new gardens where a lawn once stood. Their life cycle can take several years to complete.
Infestations of white grubs may cause sudden wilting of plants, usually in early summer. White grub damage begins in early fall, as eggs laid in July and August begin to hatch. The grub feeds on the roots of grass until the ground freezes, then burrows deeply into the ground to stay warm. In the spring, the grub returns to the surface and again feeds on roots. Damaged sections oflawn appear burned and can be lifted up with ease to expose the grubs. After working on the grass, they will move into the garden. They can cripple or run plants without ever being detected.
The best control is applying juvenile stage nematodes.
Also used as control is "Milky" spore disease. Grubs are infected as soon as they take a bite of any plant touched with the powder. The disease stays in the soil where it will affect the next population of grubs. It takes 3-5 ears to have a major impact on the grubs and is very expensive but it works.
Steps to prevent grub damage include fall cleanup of all garden debris including weeds.
Animal predators are crows, robins, and starlings. Insect predators include beneficial nematodes and ground beetles.
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