Message Board: Pests, Weeds and Diseases: Chafer grub

8th Feb 2010 by petermarkcraig

Just discovered chafer grub on the croquet lawns.

Merit Turf seems to be the business.

Anyone any experience of usage and effectiveness. I would appreciate any input.

Regards.

Peter

Of course the grass looks good. The sun is shining.

8th Feb 2010 by williams1

Hi Peter

Ideally Merit should be applied prior to eggs hatching (september/october of previous year) but have seen reasonably results on existing grubs. If you can out a liquid pesticide first ie crossfire or trigger with a penetrant wetting agent depending on depth of grub, this will deal with what you have at present, then depending on egg numbers, temperature etc. it might be worth going with merit then. At least you have 11 months control. Be careful of excessive rainfall around spring, this will wash a percentage of product through the rootzone and you might find yourself having to go again with another liquid! Good Luck. Hope of some help.

John

8th Feb 2010 by Paul wright

Or alternatively try a nematode product. I have found them tpo be very good.

See Pitchcare shop

8th Feb 2010 by petermarkcraig

Hi Williams 1.
Crow activity alerted us to the problem and the grubs have hatched although of course tiny as yet.
Thanks for your input and also to Paul. Very useful.
Peter

Of course the grass looks good. The sun is shining.

8th Feb 2010 by Dave

Hi Peter, both products are available through Pitchcare, but like Merit the nematodes need to be applied between August and early October to be truly effective.

8th Feb 2010 by petermarkcraig

So it' scrossfire to kill the little buggers now?

Of course the grass looks good. The sun is shining.

9th Feb 2010 by chrismitchell

Chlorpyrifos based products such as Crossfire have no effect on chafers and are certainly not an approved pesticide for them.
Nematodes do work but only in newly hatched grubs. It has very little effect after they are one year old. It is a case of guessing where you think you are going to have an infestation and treating before the eggs are laid. Not easy.

Chris

Remember, never eat yellow snow!

9th Feb 2010 by Ken Barber

That sounds like a bit of a S.W.A.G to me Chris!

KB

a well balanced person has a drink in both hands

9th Feb 2010 by petermarkcraig

S.W.A.G. ??

Of course the grass looks good. The sun is shining.

9th Feb 2010 by Ken Barber

Scientific Wild Arsed Guess!

KB

a well balanced person has a drink in both hands

3 weeks ago by neil pullen

Sherriff Amenity sell Chafer Traps to monitor where the Chafers are, this allows you to apply Merit on the areas at the highest risk. Put them out April/May when the adults apear, if you catch a lot you should treat with Merit. If you dont catch any, dont treat!

Hips

3 weeks ago by Potcher

A few years back I popped in to see a Head Greenkeeper who was sat in his office swishing something round in a jam jar. When I ask what he was doing, he said that he was seeing if neat Crossfire would kill some Chafer Grubs that he had just removed from an area of turf, and had put them in the jar with the chemical. The result? The chap said the the Chafers appeared to be doing the back stroke. Crossfire wont kill Chafers. But hey, why not use those Chafer traps instead!

3 weeks ago by Steve63

Ken lol, have you been to a seminar where Dr Beard has spoken?
he had a similar up front approach to questions that he didn't have the authorative answer to, not that there were many of those,

Best Regards

Steve

From now on I'll keep my own Council