Chafer larvae.. lawns

Dawn21

Hi.. I live just outside Lincoln in a small village and garden lawns are being devastated by chafer larvae!! We seem to have got away with it and our lawn looking ok for the moment. We don't look after our lawn that much either... any ideas on how to put off the beetles choosing ours this year? I am planning on getting some nematodes but does it help to have longer grass / treat it mean etc??! Thanks 

agronomist0560

Definitely recommend nemotodes. Not much else out there with approval for use on lawns. You can get Nemotodes from saxilby if you pre-order

wild edges

Given the concerns regarding global insect decline it's really worth asking if you need to introduce any kind of 'pest' control into your garden. Chafer beetles are an important part of the ecosystem and gardens are one of their remaining strongholds now given the amount of pesticides used on farmland. Nematodes are a chemical free solution but far from natural and they don't solely target chafer grubs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterorhabditis_bacteriophora

People plant pollinator friendly flowers and put up bug hotels so why not wear your patchy lawn with pride as you've created a good habitat for other vital creatures? Bird boxes and bat boxes are brilliant things to have in your garden but don't forget the birds and bats need food as well as shelter. When you see a bird with a beak full of crane flies heading back to the nest be glad that you didn't drench the leatherjackets in your lawn with nematodes