How to Control Chafer Grubs in Your Lawn

Chafer Grub is another name for Lawn Grubs which are among the most common pests of Australian lawns.

The larvae usually have a soft C-shaped pale cream or white body with six legs, and can vary in size from 15mm to 60mm.

Depending on the species, their head may be black, brown, red or yellow.

They spend most of their life underground, before pupating and emerging as adult beetles from late summer to spring. The beetles fly locally and return to the soil to mate and lay eggs.

The eggs can lie in the soil for up to three years before hatching but usually hatch annually.

There are five main signs your lawn might have a Chafer Grub problem: beetles flying at dusk, beetles being attracted to exterior lights, insect eating birds, birds pecking at your lawn, the appearance of brown patches, or sponginess in your lawn.

The two main methods of controlling Chafer Grubs are manual and chemical.

Using an Insecticide

Always wear the appropriate protective equipment – gloves, safety glasses etc… – and read the product label before using any insecticide.

Check whether the product is suitable for Chafer Grubs and that it is safe for use on your grass type.

Look for products containing the active ingredients Bifenthrin or Chlorantraniliprole for long-term residual control.

Or you could apply a product made from Neem oil extract as a foliar spray or soil drench.

These are non-toxic and do not target beneficial insects such as Bees, Butterflies and Ladybugs.

Indigo Rumbler 100SC 1L

Acelepryn GR 10kg

The best time to treat lawns and garden beds is in spring or summer, before insect numbers explode.

When using a spray, apply it only in the early morning or at night to avoid killing Bees that forage in flowers during the day.

How Long do Insecticides Take to Work?

Some products must be watered in after application and can act as both a knockdown and a preventative treatment.

It will take a few days for many pesticides to work.

Wait three days before using a soapy water flush test to see if it’s working and repeat treatment if necessary after 10-14 days.

Poor lawn maintenance can contribute to Chafer Grub problems from year to year.

Follow good mowing practices, dethatch and aerate regularly to help keep insects at a minimum.

Lawns mown too short are at greater risk of damage because they are already under stress.

If you suspect Chafer Grubs are chewing away at your lawn, an easy way to be sure is to spread a wet hessian bag – use a potato sack or buy hessian by the metre from some garden stores – over a patch of lawn.

Leave the wet hessian bag overnight on the lawn and the grubs will attach themselves to the hessian, ready for disposal in the morning.

Where the lawn has died after the roots were nipped off, dig into the soil underneath to uncover the culprits.

Collect grubs, beetles and moths and feed them to your chickens, if you have any, or toss them onto a paved area for wild birds to eat.

You could also drown the Chafer Grubs in a bucket of soapy water before putting them into a plastic bag and in the bin.

For more information about managing pests in your lawn, and to browse our range of lawncare products from leading brands, visit myhomeTURF’s online store.