What are white grubs and what harm do they do?

1. What are grubs?

Grubs are the larvae of scarab beetles or cockchafers, commonly known as chicken grubs, and the adults are commonly known as cockchafers and scarab beetles. Compared with ordinary insects, it is larger. The body is curved and C-shaped, mostly white, with a few being yellowish-white. One to two years is a generation, during which the larvae and adults overwinter in the soil, hiding in the soil during the day and coming out to feed around eight or nine in the evening. It has the properties of suspended animation and negative phototaxis, and is attracted to rotted manure.

2. What are the hazards?

According to their feeding habits, white grubs can be divided into three categories: herbivorous, saprophagous and fecal-feeding. Among them, herbivorous white grubs are the most widely distributed and can harm many crops, flower seedlings and cash crops. It likes to eat newly planted seeds, roots, tubers and seedlings, and the wounds it causes can easily induce diseases. It is an underground pest and can cause great harm. Its activity is closely related to the temperature and humidity of the soil. It is most active when the soil temperature is between 13-18 degrees.

3. How to prevent and treat

To prevent and control white grubs, you can adopt the method of water-land rotation, water at the right time during management, and be careful not to apply uncomposted organic fertilizer. The soil can also be treated with chemicals. Specifically, dilute the chlorpyrifos emulsifiable concentrate with water and mix it with the soil to make poisoned soil, which can then be applied in strips along the ridges. Or you can mix the seeds with pesticides before sowing, which can also prevent pests after planting. In addition, you can also use poison bait to kill, and sprinkle the bait mixed with medicine in the seed ditch, which also has a better prevention and control effect.