What do Southern masked chafers eat?

The larvae of the southern masked chafer are commonly known as white grubs and grow to a length of about 2.5 cm (1 in). The adult beetles are harmless, but the grubs feed on the roots of grasses (and sometimes other plants) and cause much damage.

What do chafer grubs grow into?

As chafer grubs are beetles, their life cycle matches that of other beetles. Chafer grubs in lawn soil will lay their eggs into it, which will then eventually hatch into tiny white grubs. These new grubs will continue to feed on roots, so it’s important this issue is resolved to save your grass.

What do green chafer beetles eat?

Rose chafer grubs eat the roots of grass and weeds. Adult rose chafers feed primarily on flower blossoms, especially roses and peonies, causing large, irregular holes. They also damage fruits particularly grape, raspberry and strawberry.

Do European chafer beetles fly?

Notes: A healthy, well-maintained turf can support up to 5 grubs per square foot without the grub damage becoming obvious. Since the adults fly mostly after dark, the first indication that European chafer has moved into an area may be dead patches of turf and skunk damage.

How do you remove masked chafers?

Chemical control: Effective grub control requires accu- rate timing of applications to kill the most susceptible, small grubs. For most of the annual grubs (Japanese beetle, masked chafers, European chafer, Asiatic garden beetle and Oriental beetle), the best treatment time is early August.

Are chafer grubs bad?

Chafer Grubs are the larvae of the Chafer Beetle and can cause severe damage to lawns or any grassed area. The small brown Chafer Beetle only survives for 2-3 weeks once reaching maturity and are harmless as they don’t cause any damage to your beloved lawn.

What kills chafer grubs?

The only way to deal with Chafer Grubs in your lawn is to kill them by applying a product called Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer. This product contains microscopic worms called Entomopathogenic Nematodes which prey on Chafer Grubs, infecting them with a fatal bacteria.

Are chafer grubs harmful?

The Chafer grub causes a lot of root damage – mainly to lawns. However Chafer Beetle grubs can also cause limited damage in borders and the vegetable plot. In the borders, they are happy to eat the roots of younger plants, and the damage can often be mistaken for the similar symptoms of vine weevil beetle.

What are the shiny green beetles?

The shiny green beetle that is getting the most attention right now is the Japanese beetle. They look a lot like the insects commonly referred to as June bugs, except the Japanese beetle is metallic green with coppery-colored wings.

What kills chafer beetle?

Do European chafers overwinter as adults?

Adult beetles emerge from the soil sometime between the middle of June and early July in Michigan and New York. Emergence may be three weeks earlier in North Carolina. Overwintering third instars remain just below frozen soil. An average of 24 percent of the grubs do not survive the winter.

What are masked chafer larvae (masked grubs)?

Masked chafer larvae can be infected by their specific strain of Paenibacillus popilliae (Dutky) which is called the bacterial milky disease of white grubs. This disease occurs naturally across Ohio, but it usually infects less than 20–25% of a population. There is a commercial product that uses the Japanese beetle strain of this disease.

What does a chafer bug look like?

European chafer adults are about a half-inch long and tannish in color. They are similar to the “June bugs” commonly found in Minnesota in early summer but are generally a bit smaller and lighter in color.

What is the size of a masked chafer?

Adults of the northern masked chafer have conspicuous hair on the thorax and wing covers. The southern masked chafer has sparse hair. The adults are 1/2 inch (11 to 14 mm) long by 1/4 inch (6 to 7 mm) wide. Males have an enlarged fifth tarsal segment on the forelegs that is used to grasp the female.

Where do masked chafers live in Illinois?

It has been recently reported as a more common pest in southern Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. The northern masked chafer is commonly a pest in the Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue growing regions from New England across to Illinois.