Please see the picture!
I was taking out a mum out of a clay pot it has been in for a couple years to plant finally in the ground.
Of course, found some slugs/snails eggs...............
BUT..................
Also found these white worms with a brown head as you can see from the picture.
They were down a few inches in the soil, not near the top at all.
I live in the NW so.......
Can someone tell me what they are???
What to do to get rid of them???
Thanks,
Carol
It's a grub, probably a beetle larva of some kind. If they're in a pot I'd just remove them and put 'em in a bird feeder or smush 'em. If your lawn is full of them too, you can use milky spore, a bacteria that attacks the grubs.
I figured it was a grub, but what kind??? I hope it isn't a root weevil which my rhodies are dying slowly due to them. I have saved a few rhodies by catching them at the beginning, but still am battling with them. Will be putting out more chemicals in March to get the adults beetles.
Oh, I did look for all I could find. And what joy it was to squish them!!! I ended up just throwing away the soil too. In case there were any I missed.
I only have a back lawn and it is new so.............. want to protect it.
Hum, never thought of feeding them to the birds, great idea.
Thanks for your answer tho.
Kind a hard to se e but look s like a cut worm and ya wanna get rid of them. They wil eat your plants and kill them. If ya got one you got plenty more. Sevin dust is good for getting rid of them. If you til the groudn aroudn the area wher e your pot was a few inche s down you probably find the brothers and sisters and cousins. They cn produce up to 4 generations in a single year.
Wow, 4 generations in one year. Geez. Worse than bunnies, LOL
Thanks.
Cut worms are the larval stage of moths and they look quite different. This looks like the larval stage of a beetle. Which beetle, I am not sure. It looks like it hasn't gone through all of its stages and they look different from one stage to the next. IOW, this looks like an immature larva. But the shape cries beetle. This beetle larva looks a lot like yours, but I am not saying it is the same.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/45254
Grub worm is just another name for the larval stages of beetles. Grub worms that we find in our gardens and lawns are often the larval stage of June bugs. But staghorm beetles, and many others, also begin life in the soil. Some are beneficial.
Umm, maybe not a Cut Worm and not a beetle at all? The size of her larva is way off for a June or Staghorn Beetle. Maybe try posting a photo of your larva at that site that ceejaytown mentioned above but check out the larval stage of Otiorhynchus sulcatus or maybe O. ovatus just for the heck of it and see what you think.
If this is what you learn that you have, you may want to consider a biological control. In the long run, they're probably cheaper then chemicals and could be less of a headache for you. If you go the chemical route on this one, you might be leaving yourself vulnerable to a secondary infestation. I've got this little voice that tells me you are dealing with a weevil not a beetle. Weevils are a little bit trickier.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=160567&pf=1
The biological contol I would go for would be Steinernema spp. because it's effective in a wider range of temperatures but you could use Heterorhabditis spp. (Heterorhabditis megidis and H. downesi) too. I guess which ever is cheaper and which ever one you can get your hands on faster if in fact you learn you have Otiorhynchus larva for sure and not something else.
One thing I have learned is to get a positive id on what ever I am going for because sometimes they are beneficials (don't want to nuke those) and other times I've found I've been using the wrong plan of attack because I misidentified my foe. Classic example is mites. Those things are very difficult to see sometimes. Mites aren't able to be killed with insecticides because they aren't insects at all. Mites are arachnids. You need to use a miticide to nuke those.
Wow, lots of information.
I am thinking it is a root weevil which loves rhodies and aza. So that is why I am panicking so much. So thanks for the scoop guys.
Please look at this site and try not to panic-
http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/nemas.html
$25
That should be more than enough product to treat everything you have.
I just looked up toward the top of the thread and re-read everything you typed where before I was sort of focused on the photo and realized you did type that you were having problems with your rhodos and azaleas. Yum yum, I think those are favorite nummies of Otiorhynchus. Please try to post your photo of your larva somewhere where there are die hard bug people or else you might be out more money using the wrong plan of attack.
Yes, they have a sponge with nematodes in it. You are to use it for the root weevils when the temps are like 55 deg. and up. My neighbor used it last year and it didn't seem to work.
I thought this Forum was for bugs too. Hum, guess I better find out for sure then.
There were no eggs anywhere in the soil besides a few slugs/snails ones so that is why I figured it was a worm/larvae of some sort.
There are two of you out there struggling with this problem? You poor thing. And Rhodos and Azaleas are expensive plants. A sponge? Can you get the container for the product your neighbor used or the name of the product? The biologicals I suggested above are also living organisms (I've only known them to be commercially available in a powder form that needs to be mixed with water) and they won't be effective if they were ordered and sat around for a month or so before being used. Too many other variables possible also. If your neighbor used nematodes, I can't figure out which ones she used. The nematodes I suggested above are effective against a broad range of "foes" to include beetles and cutworms so this is totally not making sense to me. See if maybe you can get the name of the sponge product your neighbor used.
I will have to try to find out. This sponge you put in like a sprinker can and put water in it. Then sprinkle the water mix around the plants. You have to do it at the right temp. and right time so is kind of tricky but is to work.
Yes, she has lost all her heur. and pansies due to the worms eating up the roots to nothing left as you pull up the plant.
Yep, rhodies and aza. are expensive so that is why I want to tackle this problem right and soon. Most people don't plant rhodies/aza. nowadays but they bring back memories from my younger days, are evergreen, bloom nicely, and grow so well here in the NW.
Carol
Oh my, Equi - I think you got it!
Half way down the page - http://www.uidaho.edu/so-id/entomology/beetles.htm
Unfortunately we have grubs on our 45 acre bermuda sod farm. The grubs of course draw moles. I'd thought of trying the beneficial nemetodes but just found this and thought you might be interested. May or may not apply, but I susepct my grubs are larvae of the June bug, so I am definately going to give this Junebug Death Jar a try! Half cup of molasses, what have I got to lose right?
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/690766/
carol
the sod farm...too much sod and not enough garden!
http://www.justfurkids.com/TNmove.html
Carol, how interesting that you have a sod farm. I work for a grass seed company in the research dept. here in OR.
I just read that other thread. Interesting. I am not sure on how to do that around every plant that the worms/beetles with nibble on so...............am going to just use my Bayer Complete Insect Control in March.
I agree. Too much grass, needs to go, LOL
I have some of that and hadn't thought to use it. I will try both...and Shoe's advice to use the Junebug Death recipe a milk jug will keep the furkids from slurping it up too. I can always try those beneficial nematodes but with 45 acres to cover that sounds mighty expensive.
Big money in grass. lol...that didn't come out right but you know what I mean. I am trying to convince DH there is more potential income from 45 acres of perennials. :-)
Carol
Oh yes, plants would definitely make more money in the long run. I know exactly what you mean tho. I never knew they had burmudagrass sod farms. We send perennial rye. to the south for overseeding trials on bermudagrass.
I just love the Bayer stuff. The Bayer rose 2 in 1 is great too. I use that on a lot of things other than roses to keep the aphids in hand.
Yes thats what I have for roses, brugs and other flowers. Will look for the Bayer Complete Insect Control too though.
LOL I know people think I am kidding when they hear bermuda sod farm. (I hear the comment, "talk about making lemonade from lemons!") It is a hybrid of some sort and the farm across the road has150 acres in production. Dh and I just bought the place this time last year so it is not in production and let me tell you, it is a BEAR to dig out out a new ornamental bed. I am making slow progress but I am tempted to just roundup the whole thing. My husband has dreams of being a gentleman sod farmer when he retires so he is teaching himself how to care for it. (ie Spray the weeds now while bermuda is still dormant. He looks so cute on theat mower that does 11 feet in a swath.)
The grubs though I could do without and can't wait to try these DG ideas!
carol
Bayer makes more than one formulations, and I can never remember which is which. I urge you not to use the one that is made with disulfoton (Disyston) - it is highly toxic to mammals. The other is made from imidacloprid and it has low toxicity to mammals.
Hello All,
I am no expert on these matters but that grub is a Japanese Beetle and your moles or voles wont go away until you make the grubs leave your place. They do say milky spore is the best thing to use and trust me this year I am going to use it... These stupid things eat my poor roses and other plants and I HATE THEM. they also say if you have allot of people who are living near you it wont do any good unless the other people use it also....
Susan
Thanks ceejaytown, for pointing that out. I think it's also worth pointing out that people are mammals, too.
Here's a letter Bayer wrote to the EPA about their disyston product:
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/December/Day-15/p27366.htm
If I understand it right, Bayer is asking the EPA to withdraw its use for most purposes?
That disulfoton is indeed whats in the stuff I have ...Darn it!
claypa - Interesting. I wish they would withdraw it for all purposes. I could tell you some really sad stories....
justfurkids - From your name I would presume you have some furry kids. Don't use it!
Thanks CJtown - Its already been bagged up to give way to the someone in the Master Gardeners group....someone without kids or pets. Can't risk my furbabies.
carol
http://www.justfurkids.com
Hey Carol, I know a little bit about it. I wouldn't give it away to a friend. Just double bag it and throw it out with your trash.
Loved your fur babies.
Lauren
I agree. Anybody's pet can get into it out there in the yard - along with the wild animals.
It's more than just being highly toxic to kids, pets, and wildlife. Doesn't appear that Disulfoton is carcinogenic but it looks as if it will be mutagenic. Contradictory studies out there right now which is probably why they pulled it voluntarily.
The label says money back guarantee. Perhaps I should pursue that.
Thank you all so much for your advice! I won't give it away.
carol
