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Re: Big Fat White Grubs in My Compost.

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-----Original Message-----
From: Olin <millero@worldnet.att.net>
To: Deborah J. Martin <martin@zianet.com>; sqft list <sqft@listbot.com>
Date: Sunday, February 21, 1999 1:41 AM
Subject: Re: Big Fat White Grubs in My Compost.

I don't know what they are but they are huge and  my Chickens   and Ducks
just "Love" them.   They seem so large, I am not sure our June Beetles are
that big.  (Our June Beetles come in May around here)

Barbara




>Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>
>Deborah J. Martin wrote:
>Subject: Big Fat White Grubs in My Compost.
>
>>I was digging and sifting my compost and I have these great big ugly
>>white grubs about the size of my thumb.  What should I do with them? ...
>> ...
>
>
>Hi Debbie,
>Could be the metallic green June beetles.  Following is some Q & A
>information I dug up from the arid_gardener mail list archives which may be
>of some help.  I am also seeing them again this year.  -Olin
>
>Subject:  June Beetles/Scarabs
>Olin Miller (millero@netzone.com)
>Sun, 21 Apr 1996 00:24:36 -0700
>
>I'm finding an unusually large number of white grubs in my compost that I
>had learned from entomology classes to call June beetles (or Junebugs).
>They are fat and quite large, up to two inches long. I've never been
>concerned about them before because I've never really had problems with
>grubs. I usually set them out in trays for the birds. But this week the
tray
>was overturned and the grubs escaped into the vegetable garden.   As I
>understand their 3-year cycle in the cooler non-desert climates, the grubs
>feed on decaying vegetation the first year (e.g., in compost), hibernate in
>the soil and feed on plant roots the second year, then hibernate again and
>pupate the third year.
>
>Question(s):
>Do they also have a 3-year cycle here in our warm Sonoran desert climate or
>is the cycle shortened by skipping the hibernation phases?
>
>They are commonly considered to be lawn pests. Are they also likely to feed
>on vegetable roots.   And if so, which vegetables and during which phase of
>growth.?
>
>Is there any effective non-chemical control?
>Olin Miller
>MG, Maricopa County AZ
>
>
>Reply from:
>Terry Mikel (tmikel@ag.Arizona.EDU)
>Mon, 22 Apr 1996 07:06:30 -0700
>
>Olin,
>I doubt they have that long a cycle. . .But remember that they are strictly
>feeders of organic matter and will do little or no damage to the living
>roots of plants. . . Due to the lowered level of organic matter in the soil
>they will probably perish. . . Compost piles and manure piles are much
>preffered media for these grubs. . .
>Terry
>
>
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