How to Identify Grubs in Compost Bins

Grubs are becoming popular for speeding up the break down of waste. Their excrement contains healthy bacteria for lawns and plants. Compost bins should have a dip pan underneath to collect moisture. To ensure grubs don't clog up the drainage holes, use strips of cardboard at the bottom of the compost bin. Also, make sure there is enough moisture in the bin to support the grubs. It is important to identify the grubs in your compost so you can sift them out before using the compost for your yard.

Things You'll Need

• Flashlight
• Gloves
• Spade
• Camera
• Wood
• Screen
• Shovel

Instructions

1. Choose a time at night to look for grubs in your compost. Bring a flashlight and a friend.

2. Move the top soil of your compost with gloves or a spade. Look for white, C-shaped insects with a gray end and red head. They are usually about the size of a small shrimp.

3. Pick up a grub with gloves. Force the grub to open up with a pen so that it is long and no longer C shaped. Use a hand lens to look at the slit near the tail. Japanese beetles have an anal slit in the shape of a V. The European chafer has a Y-shaped anal slit. The asiatic garden beetle has a branching anal slit. The oriental beetle has a traverse anal slit.

4. Have a friend take a picture of you holding the grub. Make sure there is a clear shot of the anal slit, so that you can use the link in references to match up the anal slit.

5. Construct a sifting tray by nailing together a wood frame and a screen. Use a shovel to dump the compost on the screen and sift. Place the grubs in a bucket to remove them from the compost.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the grubs for fishing or feeding wildlife.

• Refrain from spraying your compost with insecticide to kill off the grubs, because the chemicals could harm your plants.

References

• Worm Composting
• White Grub Identification