Chafer grubs are the larvae of the chafer beetle.

They can cause problems on any grassed area including lawns by feeding on the roots of grass plants.

The adults range from 9 to 39 mm in length and have different coloured heads and wings cases. The adults emerge between the end of May and July depending on the weather conditions in spring. They may feed on shrubs and trees before laying the eggs into grassed areas.

Larvae hatch about 2 weeks later and begin to feed on grass roots until late September when they move deeper into the soil where they pass the winter. The larvae have white bodies curved in letter C shape, light brown heads, with 3 pairs of legs.When the larvae are small they do not cause much damage to grass unless they are in very high numbers. As they grow bigger, they cause more damage.

Symptoms may appear as straw-coloured weak areas of grass, where the roots have been damaged. In most cases the larvae are discovered when birds or mammals, such as badgers or foxes, begin to rip up areas of the turf looking for the grubs. They are a protein filled delicacy to birds and mammals, which can destroy large areas when looking for them.

It is very difficult to prevent chafer larvae being laid into the lawn. Females prefer moist conditions and so the lawn should not be watered if adults are seen. However, where larvae are present the lawn should be kept well watered to try and counteract the grass from dying through drought due to a weaker root system. In most cases all that can be done is to employ bird and mammal deterrents and tidy up any damage caused.

The larvae can be controlled by removing them by hand or applying a biological nematode, such as Rolawn Chafer Grub Killer, which can be applied from late July until October. Rolawn Chafer Grub killer is specific to the pest concerned therefore safe for the user, children, pets, wildlife and the environment. Click here for further information and to order online from Rolawn Direct.

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Slugs and snails tend to be the number one problem in our gardens. Most damage happens during Spring and Autumn when seedlings, vegetables and ornamental plants are destroyed. More on slugs and snails.

Harlequin Ladybird is a foreign ladybird and was unknown in Britain until 2004. Since then it has spread quickly throughout the UK eating native laybirds and other aphid predators as it goes. It is of some benefit to gardeners as it eats greenfly and other aphids.

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Vine Weevils eat notches out of the leaves of a wide range of herbaceous plants and shrubs. The larvae feed on plant roots ultimately killing the plant. Vine Weevils especially attack plants grown in pots and containers. More on vine weevil.

Chafer Grubs are the larvae of a number of chafer beetles. They mostly cause damage in lawns where the grubs eat the roots of the grass. A lot of damage is also caused when animals such as foxes and crows rip up turf to feed on the grubs. More on chafer grubs.

Viburnum Beetle larvae damage foliage of Viburnums during May and June. The adult beetles eat the leaves in late summer.

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Ants cause very little direct damage to plants but the action of excavating their nests can cause a problem in lawns, flower beds and patios. They are most common in sunny gardens with well drained soils. More on ants.

Rabbits eat the foliage of many low-growing plants and vegetables. They can also damage the bark of trees. More on rabbits.

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• Now is an ideal time to prevent damage caused by Chafer Grubs - Chafer grubs are the larvae of the chafer beetle. They can cause problems on any grassed area including lawns by feeding on the roots of grass plants. The adults range from 9 to 39 mm in length and have different coloured heads and wings cases. The adults emerge between the end of May and July ...
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I read an article recently about an organic solution to this pest; pick a bucket of foxglove leaves and pour over two pints of boiling water, leave for two days, strain and spray on gooseberry plants before any caterpillars appear.

So if you have foxgloves in your garden why not give it a try.

There are a couple of other non chemical controls:

• Regularly check the plants from mid-April onwards for sawfly larvae and pick them off by hand.
• A pathogenic nematode, sold as Nemasys Grow Your Own, can be watered onto infested plants. The nematodes enter the bodies of the sawfly larvae and infect them with a bacterial disease.

Chemical controls available include:

• Insecticides are Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, Westland Plant Rescue Fruit & Vegetable Bug Killer
• Organic pesticides such as Py Garden Insect Killer, Scotts Bug Clear Gun for Fruit & Veg, or Doff All in One Bug Spray
• Spray when young larvae are seen, with an insecticide approved for use on gooseberryand red currant

• Now is an ideal time to prevent damage caused by Chafer Grubs - Chafer grubs are the larvae of the chafer beetle. They can cause problems on any grassed area including lawns by feeding on the roots of grass plants. The adults range from 9 to 39 mm in length and have different coloured heads and wings cases. The adults emerge between the end of May and July ...
• Pests and Diseases: Potato - Pest and diseases common in potatoes; the symptoms, treatment and preventionTweet ...
• The Top Ten Garden Pests - According to the RHS the following are the top ten garden pests in the UK.Tweet ...

• Symptoms: Plant infested with greenfly.
• Treatment: Spray at first sign of attack
• Prevention: None

Blackleg:

• Symptoms: Blackened stems at and below ground level. Leaves turn yellow and wilt.
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Do not plant soft or rotten seed tubers and don't cut tubers

Capsid Bug:

• Symptoms: Small brown spots in leaves, later turn into holes
• Treatment: Spray if attack is bad, will not affect yield
• Prevention: None

Common Scab:

• Symptoms: Ragged-edged scurfy patches. Only on the skin, the flesh is not affected.
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Buy healthy seed tubers. Do not Lime.

Dry Rot:

• Symptoms: Shrunken area with white pustules occur during storage.
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Rotate crops. Ensure tubers are sound before storing and handle carefully.

Frost:

• Symptoms: Black stems or yellow patches on leaves
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Cover if frost is expected

Gapping:

• Symptoms: Seed potatoes do not develop shoots
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Buy healthy seed tubers and ensure they are kept in a frost-free location

Gangrene:

• Symptoms: Dark brown depressions on the surface of the tuber
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Store only sound tubers and keep air and frost-free

Hollow Heart:

• Symptoms: Hollow centre of tubers
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Keep well watered during dry spells

Leaf Roll Virus:

• Symptoms: Leaves are rolled upwards and become hard and brittle
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Buy healthy seed tubers. Spray to control the virus-carrying aphids.

Mosaic Virus:

• Symptoms: Yellow or pale green mottling over the surface of the leaf
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Buy healthy seed tubers. Spray to control the virus-carrying aphids.

Magnesium Deficiency:

• Symptoms: Yellowing between the veins of the leaves which turns brown and brittle. Stunted growth.
• Treatment: Apply MultiTonic and spray with Fillip
• Prevention: Feed regularly during the growing season using a fertiliser with magnesium

Potato Blight:

• Symptoms: Brown patches on the leaves with white mould on the underside of each spot. Can destroy all the foliage. grey patches below the skin.
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Buy healthy seed tubers. Spray with Dithane in July and repeat every fortnight if the weather is damp. Keep earthed up.

Potato Cyst Eelworm:

• Symptoms: Weak and stunted plants. Small tubers produced
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Rotate crops. Don't grow potatoes or tomatoes on infected land for at least six years

Powdery Scab:

• Symptoms: Round patches with raised margins on the skin.
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Rotate crops

Rosy Rustic Moth:

• Symptoms: Hollow stems causing plants to die down early
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: None

Splitting:

• Symptoms: Deep cracks on surface of tubers
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Do not store. Keep plants well watered during dry spells.

Slugs:

• Symptoms: Large holes in the tubers
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Don't add too much manure and lift tubers as soon as they mature. Keep the area free of rubbish.

Spraing:

• Symptoms: Curved lines in the flesh
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Rotate crops

Soft Rot:

• Symptoms: Soft, evil-smelling flesh
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Store only sound tubers and keep dry

Spindly Sprouts:

• Symptoms: Thin shoots
• Treatment: Stand tubers in a light cool place
• Prevention: Buy healthy seed tubers and ensure they are sprouted in a light, frost-free location.

Soft Tubers:

• Symptoms: Soft and rubbery tubers
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Water well during drought conditions

Wireworm:

• Symptoms: Orange, shiny larvae produce tunnels in the flesh of tubers
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Rake Chlorophos into the soil before planting and lift tubers as soon as they are mature.

Wart Disease:

• Symptoms: Black warty outgrowths on tubers
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Only plant immune varieties on infected land

• Gooseberry Sawfly - If you love to grow gooseberrys you will know the frustration of the gooseberry sawfly whose larvae can strip the leaves of gooseberry bushes.Tweet ...
• The Top Ten Garden Pests - According to the RHS the following are the top ten garden pests in the UK.Tweet ...
• Now is an ideal time to prevent damage caused by Chafer Grubs - Chafer grubs are the larvae of the chafer beetle. They can cause problems on any grassed area including lawns by feeding on the roots of grass plants. The adults range from 9 to 39 mm in length and have different coloured heads and wings cases. The adults emerge between the end of May and July ...