How to Get Rid of Grub Worms in Dairy Pastures
Grub worms are the spawn of May beetles or June bugs. Grub worms grow into reddish-brown beetles that often live in pastures and gardens. As grubs they look like worms that are an inch long, with light yellow bodies and brown heads that are often curled into a C shape. Too many grub worms in a pasture can cause the grass to turn yellow and die. The worms also destroy the roots of cultivated plants. The pests can be eradicated if you learn about the seasonal habits of grub worms and use the proper treatment. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Confirm that grub worms are affecting your dairy pasture. Look for patches of dead grass that can be easily lifted off the ground like carpet. You can also recognize a grub worm infestation if the ground feels spongy and rodent pests appear in your pasture, as these animals feed on the grub worms.
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Dig up small sections of dirt beneath dead grass. If you find 20 or more grub worms near the surface of one square foot of soil, you need to treat your pasture.
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Choose an insecticide to treat your dairy pasture. Different brands contain different chemicals, depending on the life stage at which they are designed to target the grub worms.
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Apply grub worm treatment to your entire pasture. During the late summer and early fall, grub worms are small and immature, and have not burrowed deep into the soil. Read the instructions that accompany the product you purchase, as they require different applications that vary depending on the climate and the size of the dairy pasture.
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Purchase a natural insecticide at a garden or home improvement store. Natural remedies for grub worm infestations include neem oil, milky spore and nematodes, which are tiny worms. Apply the spores, oil or nematodes throughout the affected area. The natural remedies can be used instead of insecticides or to complement them.
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Tips & Warnings
Install a bird feeder on your lawn to prevent a beetle population from re-establishing itself and laying eggs that will hatch into grub worms. Purchase feed that attracts songbirds such as robins, which feed on grub worms and beetles, and naturally control the population.
If you use insecticides in addition to natural grub repellents such as neem oil, milky spore and nematodes, wait several weeks after applying the insecticide so that it does not kill the natural remedies along with the grub worms.
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