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Master Gardeners California Gardening Integrated Pest Management

Grubs in the vegetable/flower garden

Mark Furtak SoCal Sunset 10/USDA 8b

last year

Anyone know of a safe grub control product for flowers and vegetables? I've read that this is a japanese beetle grub yet I have never seen a japanese beetle in my garden and I don't have roses or a lawn, both of which the JB is attracted to. I know what they look like because I was a trapper one summer for the CDFA. In any event I need to get rid of these grubs they are everywhere. It only took about 3 minutes to find one for the pic.

Featured Answer

gobluedjm 9/18 CA

last year

I use a product by Bayer but check the label if safe for produce.

Raccoons around here did up soil to eat them. I would definitely try and get rid of them.

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Comments (7)

Fori
last year
Could be just about any sort of scarab beetle. They all kind of look like that.

Have you noticed any damage? You might not need to treat.
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Mark Furtak SoCal Sunset 10/USDA 8b
Original Author
last year
Thanks Fori. Some leaf damage above ground but I think widespread damage underground as nothing really did well this year. Some flowers/veg just looked weak like they were really struggling and others produced nice vegetation but very little flowers. I know I had overfertilized (had soil tested) so I'm kind of chasing my tail with causes and cures
CA Kate z9
last year
I don't know how well Milky Spore does in the high desert, but it works in the lawns and gardens elsewhere. You'd have to put it down now, but the coverage increases over the years as the Milky Spore reproduces and spreads.
Mark Furtak SoCal Sunset 10/USDA 8b thanked CA Kate z9
Mark Furtak SoCal Sunset 10/USDA 8b
Original Author
last year
Thanks Kate, I will try it if it comes to that. Sevin with carbaryl is supposed to kill grubs but they reformulated it for CA with zeta-cypermethrin instead and my sworn enemies leafhoppers and whiteflies are listed but not the grubs. I found a product (Bio Advanced Complete Insect Killer with active ingredients Imidacloprid and ß-Cyfluthrin) that lists all three so I'm going to try it. I also read (damn the internet!) that dish soap or borax will get the grubs. I will also look into the milky spore. I like the way it works for a long time although it only works on JB grubs and I've never seen a JB beetle in my garden.

Cancel the Bio Advanced Complete Insect Killer. I did some research (damn the internet!) and I don't like the sound of the ingredients. I'm only 72 yrs old so it might have time to kill me and I need every day I can squeeze out of this life
Babka NorCal 9b
last year
Get some beneficial nematodes at a reputable nursery. They keep them in under refrigeration. They are microscopic and you mix them with water and apply it at dusk with a sprinkling can because sunlight kills them. They go down into the soil to do their work.

Read up on them. Yes, they work!

-Babka
Mark Furtak SoCal Sunset 10/USDA 8b thanked Babka NorCal 9b
Mark Furtak SoCal Sunset 10/USDA 8b
Original Author
last year
Thanks Babka I will try it.

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