P U B L I S H ED IN F E B R U A R Y, MARCH. APRIL, A U G U ST A ND SEPTEMBER BY O. M. SCOTT & SONS CO. M ARYSVILLE, OHIO Tenth Year Number 44 BEETLE GRUB CONTROL several the past DURING years many lawns, putting greens and other turfed areas in the northeastern portion of the United States have been ruined by the grubs of various beetles. Greatest damage comes from the grubs of those beetles having a one year life cycle, namely the Japanese, Oriental, and Asiatic Garden species. Grubs of May beetles are also troublesome but they have a three year life cycle. from Turf damaged by grubs appears to be suffering lack of water. The grass turns brown and dies in irregularly shaped circular patches. The grass is severed at the roots so that it can be literally rolled up l i ke a c a r p e t. Severely injured turf often has a springy feel similar to that after the frost has gone out the If the sod is removed at the spring. right feeding Grubs will be found. time a colony of the in When dry weather follows grub activity, as it frequently does, the lawn may be completely lost. Even though drouth doesn't follow a lawn is so weak- ened it is vulnerable to weed invasion, especially Crabgrass. Weeds are often blamed for causing poor turf, when actually they are the result. The presence of grubs is often dis- closed by flocks of birds such as grack- les and starlings. They drill holes in the ground with their bills to feed on the grubs. Beetle larvae are also a favorite food of skunks. They tear up the sod not to eat the grass but to get at and devour the grubs. Extensive damage to lawns from moles may also be to grubs present. Moles - ^ skunks will for- ge e l s e w h e re for food after the supply of juicy, appetizing Grubs has been put under control. traced Jap Beetle Grubs The four phases ( e g g, g r u b, p u p a, beetle) in the life of Japanese and similar beetles are completed in one year the l a t i t u dc ^ sey. Farther north where the warmer seasons are shorter this may take two years. To the south there may be more than one cycle each year. pc n n s yl_ N ew in The milky-white eggs of these beetles are usually deposited during June or July in unshaded grass land to a depth of two or three inches. Since damp soil rich in humus is preferred, lawns and putting greens are especially favored. In a week or ten days the eggs hatch into grubs about the size of the head of a pin. They develop rapidly and are about one-third grown in two to four Grub of Japanese Beetle, enlarged 3 times. Courtesy U.S.D.A.,Bureau of Entomology. ^ Qf ^ C O P Y R I G HT BY O. M. S C O TT & S O NS C O. weeks. Their food is decaying organic matter and living grass roots. At first they consume so little that the damage to turf is negligible. When the grub is one-third grown it casts away its first skin and gets a new and larger one along with a bigger appetite. Grubs begin to eat ravenously near the end of August when they are approaching maturity. They do their greatest damage to turf then as they lay away enough food to last them until spring. As they burrow deeper into the soil to protect in themselves temperature produced alternate freezing and thawing. from sudden changes the ground freezes by In the following March or April as the soil warms the grubs crawl back near the surface to feed. Again they eat heartily to regain the weight lost dur- ing the winter. At this time they may damage turf seriously but the effects do not appear until the warm days of May or June. By then it will be found that many grass roots have been cut off just below the surface. Appearance Of Adult Beetles During May and June, grubs go into the resting or pupa stage and are gradu- ally transformed into beetles. The adult beetles leave the ground to feed on the foliage of trees, shrubs and other plants. Sometimes they defoliate the attacked plants the stems or branches and the skeleton of the leaf structure. leaving only After a few days of the beetles mate and the female begins to lay eggs to start the cycle all over. feeding The female usually lays ten or more eggs before she returns to the surface to mate again and deposit another clutch of eggs. This routine is continued until she has laid about sixty eggs. Cold weather may halt this since it kills all adult beetles of the one year species. Infested Localities Since the Japanese Beetle was dis- covered in New Jersey in 1916, it has Left: JAPANESE BEETLE. Actual size. An attractive creature of bright metallic green tinged with bronze. It has two distinguishing white spots at the tip of the abdomen and five others on each side. The Oriental and Asiatic Garden Beetles are slightly smaller, straw to brown colored with black markings. some Right: MAY BEETLE, also known as the "June Bug." Larger than the Japanese; dark brown color. spread steadily, advancing 5 to 10 miles a year. It is thought to have been intro- duced around from Japan. The natural migration of Jap Beetles has been sufficient infest practically sea- board from southern Maine to Norfolk. Inland it has extended through most of New England, New York state, Penn- sylvania, Maryland and Virginia. to the Atlantic iris roots all of Aside from the natural spread, beetles have been introduced in sections to the west and south. They have been trans- ported on automobiles and trains and some have possibly been carried on plants that were slipped through the quarantine barrier. Japanese beetles are now pretty well distributed through eastern Ohio. Other infesta- tions are reported at Indianapolis, St. Louis, and in scattered Southern cities. Oriental and Asiatic Garden beetles are found in Connecticut and in scat- tered spots along the Atlantic seaboard. isolated May Beetles The life cycle of the May beetle is of three years' duration. From April to June of the first year May beetles are found feeding on their favorite food such as oak leaves. They mate at night, the female returning to the soil to lay eggs which hatch in three to four weeks. The resulting grubs live on organic matter and roots until cold weather when they hibernate for the winter. They remain in the ground all through the next year to emerge as adult beetles the third year. The May beetle is found in almost any state north of the Ohio River and westward to South Dakota. May beetles appear every summer because different broods mature in different years. Control Of Grubs Fortunately the control of all these grubs is easily accomplished by poison- ing the soil with Lead Arsenate. The grubs get a small amount of this poi- soned soil while eating at the grass roots. It usually sickens them so they soon cease feeding and within three weeks they die. Whenever damage appears as a result of Grub activities, Lead Arsenate should be applied. Grub injury is apt to show up in August and September resulting from the feeding of the newly hatched larvae. Damage again occurs in April and May when the old grubs return to the surface to feed on roots after spending the winter hibernating. The minimum application for light infestations is 5 to 10 pounds of Lead Arsenate per 1000 square feet. Even greater amounts may be needed on clay soils especially if quick results are wanted. In such cases the rate should be doubled. A light sandy soil may respond quickly to the 5 to 10 pound rate but the poison will not remain effective as long as in clay soil. Winter and early spring is a good time for the treatment because alternate freezing and thawing carries the poison into the root zone where it will do the most good. A spring application may not be effective until later unless it is applied before late March. In sections where grubs are apt to it is well to anticipate cause damage them and poison the soil in advance with a heavy application of Lead Arse- nate. As much as 15 pounds to the 1000 square into the upper inch of soil prior to seeding. This may delay seed germination for a few days but it is only temporary. feet can be worked One Lead Arsenate treatment, if prop- 44 b 3 erly made, is adequate to insure against grub damage for 5 to 7 years. Beetles may emerge from neighboring lawns and feed on shrubs the vicinity. However if they deposit eggs in a poi- soned soil the new grubs are killed before causing any damage. Lead Arse- nate also keeps earthworms and several other pests under control. in future Lead Arsenate is effective only as a preventive against infestations of Grubs; its use does not repair dam- age already done. Timely fertilizing and reseeding is necessary to start new grass in place of dead turf and weeds. Methods Of Application it It is difficult to apply dry Lead Arse- fluffy is so is such a the quantity used nate evenly since powder and small. A good method of application is to mix the powder with soil, sand or com- post and broadcast it by hand or with a spreader. About a bushel of carrier is needed for each 1000 square feet. It is well to wash the Lead Arsenate off the grass blades to prevent burning and to insure quicker penetration. it Lead Arsenate is a virulent poison and should be used with care. It may be mixed with bare hands, but is better to wear gloves. Supposedly birds will not feed on Grubs or earthworms that have been killed or even made sick with the poison. Even though Lead Arsenate has been used many years for spraying trees, shrubs, and for Grub control in lawns, there seems to be no documentary evidence that it has been fatal to persons or domestic animals. Even so, care should be exercised to apply the poison evenly and to store safely any unused portion. Lead Arsenate should be used spar- in flower or vegetable gardens. ingly Some perennials will not grow in the presence of the arsenic found in the chemical and some vegetables take up the poison into their tissues. The grubs of Oriental as well as Asi- atic Garden beetles are also controlled with Lead Arsenate. Natural Control Of Grubs There are some natural enemies of Grubs and Beetles that help keep them in check. One of the major ones is the female of a certain species of parasitical wasps which digs into the soil in search of Grubs. The wasp finds and stings a Grub, paralysis. While the Grub is inactive an egg is firmly deposited on its under surface. This hatches into a larva which feeds by sucking fluids of the host grub. In fifteen to twenty days it con- sumes the entire Grub. temporary the body causing the New Certain bacteria have been discovered which prove fatal to Grubs of Japanese, Asiatic, May and June beetles. This Grub infection is commonly called the "milky white disease." Credit for the development of this natural control method goes jointly to the U. S. Bureau of Entomology and Jersey Agricultural Experiment Stations. These agencies have prepared a bacterial inoculation which is applied to lawns to the milky white disease through Grub colonies. The disease is fatal to the larvae within 10 to 12 days after contact. Artificial propagation of is necessarily on a small the bacteria scale which limits the availability of this control method. spread Poisoning Is More Effective While natural enemies may be some- what effective in controlling harmful Grubs and Beetles they will hardly approach the efficiency of a well timed application of Lead Arsenate. O. M. S C O TT & S O NS CO» MAR Y S V I L LE • • O H IO EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS L A WN SEED BEARS THIS TRADE-MARK A ND IS SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION 44 c