Large white grubs

[dave and aileen]

We have lost several young trees and shrubs, and on digging them up discover large white grubs in the roots, we assume eating out at our expense. Is there a solution to this problem. Even when the ground has been thoroughly dug before hand, with no trace of them. Any advice would be appreciated.

Aileen and Dave (19)

[pinkfluff<P>Big Wet Drops and Lots of Them, Are a Sure Sign of Rain!<P>]

Do they have a brownish head and lots of very tiny legs and slightly curl up when exposed to the air?

[dave and aileen]

[quote]Do they have a brownish head and lots of very tiny legs and slightly curl up when exposed to the air?[/quote]

That sounds like them, the cat is quite partial to them too, and our friends chickens. But they have so far finished off a rhodendron, 2 blackberry plants, a young yellow fir tree, 2 holly bushes,a young beechnut tree and a fir tree I grew from a seed in Wales before we moved here.I`m getting a little cross with them!!

Aileen

[Ron Avery]

I think you may be seeing the results of a problem rather than the culprits.  Lots of plants have died here due to the drought and the daytime heat we have had and the bugs could be simply feeding off their remains, or have gathered at these roots because he conditions suited them.  It could be like thinking that a vulture has killed a zebra if you see what I mean.

Plants die for all sorts of reasons and being eaten by bugs is one of them but your "menu" is so varied to rule out a lot of the common bugs and worms. What were the symptoms of the demise of these plants other than finding whilte bugs when you dug then up, wilt? Yellowing leaves?, lack og growth,? leaf drop?  Have these plants been regularly watered, if so when and did you avoid the leaves, the possiblities are endless, so perhaps if you can remember the early symptoms of malaise it would help find a cure

[dave and aileen]

All seemed to be doing well, the rhodedendron has been fed and watered, flowered well for the 3rd year, then zonk - gone, the same with the blackberries, the yellow fir has deteriorated more slowly as has the little tree from the seed, but the bugs were in all the roots, well what roots were left. The rhoedendron was in a different part of the garden, whereas all the others were in the same part - along an edge. The garden was very uncared for before we came, and we have dug up 100`s of theses bugs, there is always lots in the compost heap.

Aileen

[Ron Avery]

Aileen

With the combined effects of the droughts of 2003 and this year, we have now lost two well established fir trees and a cherry tree, they just were too far above the water table to get enough moisture, so the drought may have accounted for yours as well.

I may have the answer to your problem if it is the bugs eating the roots and killing your plants, Do a google search on "root eating grubs France" and have a look at the  http://www.motherearthnews.com site

Look familiar?

[pinkfluff<P>Big Wet Drops and Lots of Them, Are a Sure Sign of Rain!<P>]

Chafers   I think they are called they make round holes in the soil which you notice when you are digging   they ate holes in my spuds only a few though when you get them bad you are not supposed to plant veg for three years  

[Ron Avery]

PF Probably a bit late for the white grub of the beetle called the chafer and not usual for them to eat tree roots either.

Adult chafers eat the leaves and flowers of many deciduous trees, shrubs and other plants, but rarely cause any serious damage. However, their fat, white grubs (reaching 40-45 mm long when full grown) live in the soil and feed on plant roots, especially those of grasses and cereals, and are occasional pests in pastures, nurseries, gardens, and in grassy amenity areas like golf-courses. The injury to grassland and lawns results in poorly growing patches that quickly turn brown in dry weather; the grubs can be found immediately below the surface, usually lying in a characteristic comma-like position (as illustrated below). The grubs sometimes attack vegetables and other garden plants, e.g. lettuce, raspberry, strawberry and young ornamental trees. Injury to the roots and rootstock causes small saplings and tender tap-rooted plants like lettuce, to wilt suddenly or to show stunted growth and a tendency to shed leaves prematurely. Plants growing in rows are usually attacked in succession as the grubs move along from one plant to the next. Chafer grubs feed below ground for 3-4 years before changing into adult beetles

According to that motherearth website what Aileen has are simply called white grubs, they could be the same thing.

What is more than likely eating your potatoes are wireworms,  With the drought our spuds are not even big enough for the wire worms to eat

[dave and aileen]

[quote]PF Probably a bit late for the white grub of the beetle called the chafer and not usual for them to eat tree roots either. Adult chafers eat the leaves and flowers of many deciduous trees, shrubs and...[/quote]

Thanks for all the info, but is there a deterrent, the cat only eats them after I have dug them up, we dont generally use insecticide, except for the slugs, which really annoy me, but sometimes enough is enough. 

[Ron Avery]

Aileen

From the motherearth site I recommended you look at,  it says edited a bit

The worst infestations of white grubs occur when grassland is convened to gardens. If you're planning to raise a garden in such an area, dig or rotovate it in the autumn fall and then keep the soil clear of weeds by continuing to dig the earth periodically until planting time. This practice will remove the grubs' food supply as well as actually crushing many of them

If mechanical methods of control fail, you can use a grub-deterring weapon: milky spore disease. This bacterium (Bacillus papillae), when eaten by the grub, enters the larva's bloodstream and paralyses and kills its host. Because milky spore is a self-perpetuating disease, a single application of the bacteria will often last indefinitely. The bacterium is widely available from nurseries and garden centres under the trade name Doom.