While I was digging up the sod and getting to know the rose chafers, I also found white grubs. Lots of them, just under the roots of the sod. I don’t like to be critical, but they really are rather unattractive, these future beetles. Around this part of the world, the grubs are generally the larvae of one of three common scarab beetles: June Bugs (Phyllophaga spp), Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) or European Chafers (Rhizotrogus majalis). June beetles are native to North America. However, we have ourselves to blame for the Japanese beetles and European Chafers. The Japanese Beetles were introduced to New Jersey in 1916 on imported nursery stock, while the European Chafers were probably accidentally introduced sometime in the 1930s. They were first discovered in Newark, New York in 1940. You can differentiate the species of larvae by a close examination of the pattern of spines on the raster, the greyish area at the rear of the larva. I wasn’t sufficiently interested to study the larvae in such depth.
The larvae feed on the roots of grass, and in doing so, can damage the lawn as the grass is weakened and dies, thus deeply disturbing the emotional well-being of a certain breed of suburbanite that thrives on a perfect green vista in their front yard. In Ontario, there are limited options for waging war on the larvae, as cosmetic pesticides are banned. Most garden gurus suggest maintaining a strong, healthy lawn that can withstand some root damage is the best defense, but a biological control, the introduction of nematodes, is also suggested. A secondary source of lawn damage results from skunks or raccoons digging up the lawn to snack on the apparently quite tasty grubs.
In a recent Garden Rant comment section, a Floridian suggested that a pesticide ban in Ontario is no big deal because pests like cockroaches, fire ants, mosquitoes, silverfish, killer bees, weeds, wasps, rats, termites, mice, beetles, yellow jackets, flies etc. can’t tolerate the cold and do not exist there. LOL! Personally, I can’t imagine spraying poisons in my yard or garden for anything as trivial as a green lawn anyway. Indeed, I can’t imagine wasting the space of a suburban yard on a lawn in the first place. Rip up that grass! There are better things to grow!
Yay for you! Who needs a perfect lawn, when a lawn full of fascinating little flowers and plants is much more interesting? I’m with you 100%. My next door neighbor’s girlfriend had him putting pesticide and fertilizer on his lawn this year, and even offered his services to do mine. I politely declined. I have earthworms, now he doesn’t.
When I was a kid, we had a row of table grapevines. They used to get FULL of Japanese beetles. One of my jobs was picking them off of the vines. All these years later, I can still feel their stiff little legs gripping my fingers as I picked them off of the vines and dropped them into a jar of water. They then went to Dad, and I never wanted to know what happened to them.
Oh Boy, I am with you on this post!!! Lawns are the silliest affront to nature. If folks truly thought about the assault to nature that pristine lawns represent than maybe they would be willing to give nature a little more balance to their present unbalanced lawn environment. And I must also add that filling the lawn areas with non-native plants is also ridiculous. Give your habitat critters a break and go truly natural or plant an organic veggie garden in the space. — barbara
Wondered what those were. Cai and Fergus like to roll on the “finished product”, dead June Beetles. When I find a grub while moving sods, I toss it under the mixed seed feeder in hopes that a bird will dine on it.
Your dad must have been an organic gardener before it was fashionable, Louise. It helps to have a helper that can be pressed into service. I like your memory of their little legs!
Barbara, I’m not a purist when it comes to growing native plants. Daylilies, for example, are not native. But I try to include a variety of natives that will please the birds and bees.
LB, what a good idea, offering the grubs to the birds.
oh i agree. green lawns are so overrated. and in the ‘burbs, there definitely is a keeping-up-with-the-joneses mentality. so much time, effort, money (and chemicals) goes into the upkeep. we have a small patch of lawn in the front, and we used “eco-lawn” (seed from a farm in ontario). it lays deep roots and is a hardy mix of grasses. it is slow growing (less time spent mowing) and needs very little water because of those deep roots. we still get the odd patch of grubs, which get eaten by birds and the racoons, but it’s a good alternative if you still want a lawn (or feel the pressure to have one because of the neighbours!).
iMadeItSo, that sounds like a good option. Thanks for the recommendation. Out in our rural location, we don’t worry if the lawn is brown, or has weeds and dandelions, but for those who do, it’s good to know about choices.