In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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May 1, 2007

White Grubs

A friend uncovers handfuls of white grubs every time she works in the soil. They’re scary looking little things with soft creamy white bodies, six squiggly legs and a dark head. They curl into the shape of the letter “C” when disturbed.

Grubs feed on roots, and seem to love almost anything you put in the garden, including lawn grass, fruit trees, shade trees, ornamentals, as well as decaying organic matter. They are the larvae of several kinds of beetles. The most common white grubs are those of June beetles, or June bugs. Grubs live in the soil feeding on plant roots for two or three years before they emerge as adults and begin the process of laying their eggs in the soil again.

A Clemson University Department of Horticulture fact sheet says if you have more than seven per square foot, you’ve got a problem. They recommend milky spore bacteria for control, although it can take several years. You can also pick and toss as many as you can find to the birds. There are insecticides that can be used, but it’s difficult to get them down into the soil where the grubs live.

Ten-year-old Valentina Couse-Baker, who helps her mother in the garden, took this photo.

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