Re: Why treat for grubs??
Hi all....now I may be wrong here but I believe that the intended use of
Grubbex as it pertains to this list and Pumpkinguy's comments was not to kill
cutworms or the common grubs,but to kill VINE BORERS.The chemical in Grubbex
is systemic...meaning it is absorbed into the plant tissues via roots and
circulates throughout the plant.When a vine borer eats his way into your vine
it is theorized that he will ingest a toxic dose of MERIT,the chemical in
Grubbex,and die before doing too much damage.I don't think the comments were
intended to kill the beetle grubs(japanese beetles,may beetles,june bugs
etc....) although it will do this if applied correctly and at the right time.
I have found that these beetle grubs(the whitish ones that half curl) are
easily reduced by tilling during a thaw followed by a freeze...bringing them
to the surface for a quick freeze.....birds love them in the spring also
after tilling. Only after these less environmentally damaging exercizes would
I use the grubbex for grubbs.
If you apply the grubbex in the spring you will knock off some grubbs.if
your after the systemic effects in your pumpkin plant to kill the borers you
will need to apply at the proper time for egg hatchings....different times
in different areas.And I would apply it more often than once.Last year we had
two separate hatchins around here...if you didn't get nailed by the first
one,the second got you.I found that grubbex didn't work for me.Others have
had success.I will try it again this year in more frequent applications due
to my sandy soil. The thought of letting a bug eat his way to death on my
pumpkin doesn't agree with me......but if I didn't catch him with the
methoxychlore or visual inspection,its nice to have the backup of a systemic
insecticide.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE WHEN USING SYSTEMICS IS DO NOT EAT THE
PUMPKIN,ITS SEEDS OR ALLOW ANYONE ELSE TO EAT IT.iF YOU GIVE THE PUMPKIN AWAY
OR SELL IT MAKE SURE THEY KNOW IT IS NOT EAT-ABLE...EVEN THE SEEDS............
..............gLENNa
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