Watch for new European chafer damage in early April

Editor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.

This is the time of year that European chafer grubs begin to wake-up from their winter snooze to begin munching on turf roots again. Watch for patches of brown turf and bare soil to increase in size in April.

One way to demonstrate this is to outline the edge of a patch of damaged turf with stakes pushed into the ground. Return a week or two later to see if the size of the damaged area has grown larger. Dylox or Sevin can be used in April to prevent additional spring damage.

However, the best products we have for grub control (Merit, Mach 2, Arena, Allectus, Bayer Season-long Grub Control, Grub-Ex) are not effective for spring grubs. These products work best when applied in July for the next generation of grubs.

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