Now is the time of year to get back into the garden. But wait. What is that grub all over my lawn?
Grubs are the larvae of a variety of insects, most commonly species of beetles. They are commonly found in decaying matter, such as logs, as well as sometimes in your lawn or garden.
We have both native and introduced grubs on Vancouver Island. Not sure what grub you have?
Check out the following guide to lawn grubs or upload a picture to iNaturalist for the community to identify. If you are still having issues identifying it, you can email a picture and location to info@coastalisc.com and we will do our best to find you an answer.
One of the more common invasive grubs is the European Schafer Beetle. The grubs are an easy meal for many animals, leading to them digging up your lawn to get to the tasty treat.
European Schafer beetles can be controlled by keeping a healthy lawn, using biocontrol in the form of nematodes, and by other cultural controls, such as covering your lawn or moving to a different type of garden.
For more information on how to control European Schafer beetles, check out the city of Richmond and Vancouvers’ well-written guides.
