buried monster grubs- any ideas?

[salome2001]

Hi, hope someone might be able to help with this

Planting out some seedlings this week I found numerous very large (3-4 cm long, about 0.5-0.8cm thick) white grubs buried a few inches under the soil. Looked like vine weevil larvae on steroids (or for the Australians among you, like witchetty grubs).

The bed involved had brassicas in it last year, if that is relevant.

Any ideas? (sorry, i didn't have my phone to hand to take any pics)

[Nicos]

Chafer grubs???




they turn into Maybugs which are getting rarer...

[salome2001]

Quite possibly. They are getting rarer again on my plot as I chucked 'em on the path for the birds.

[Nicos]

Yeh- our hens love them too!

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I also found some recently:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1122434

I found a few when digging new beds and sure enough, I was getting dive bombed by the maybugs at dusk over the last month or so. They are hooge. Found a big one deceased in the greenhouse and saved it to show my little boy.

[wildinthecountry]

These chafer grubs are still bugging me. Our lawn is non existent now and I'm told you can only get rid of them in spring with powerful chemicals which kill everything else. Nematodes didnt work at all. No idea what to do. Any ideas???

[Two_Sheds]

I'm told you can only get rid of them in spring with powerful chemicals

No, you don't need chemicals.

When it's warmer, say April onwards, lay a sheet of black plastic (eg. an inside-out compost bag) on the ground after rain. Leave it overnight & remove in the morning. You should find lots of bugs that have gone up to the warm comfy plastic ~ gather them up and put on the bird table.

[wildinthecountry]

Thanks!

Many thanks that's brilliant! Last year I dug up over 200 - sent them to the nematode company a couple of months after use - so this could take some time. But I will persevere.