Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
halfandhalf_gw

larvae in soil,HELP!!!

halfandhalf
11 years ago

I was diggin around in my small plot where I will be planting bush beans and dug up a bunch of larvae that are greyish semi tranparent with brown heads. What are they?? And how do I get rid of them organic or with pesticides. I tried to look online and found something about them maybe being japanesse beetle grubs. They are in the soil down 3-8 inches. Thoughts???? Thank you!

Comments (16)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    well.. you gave my best guess.. see link.. familiar???

    otherwise .. post us a pic ... hard to tell one grub from another .. w/o a picture ...

    and with any treatment.. ID is imperative ...

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • halfandhalf
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    That's them Ken,what can i do besides digging them out and squashing. My beans need to go in soon and dont want them eatting the fresh seedlings. Thank you

  • jean001a
    11 years ago

    Please, let us know where you live. If in SoCal, they're NOT Japanese beetles.

    The youngsters of the green fruit beetle look essentially the same but they DON'T damage live plants.

  • Kimmsr
    11 years ago

    You may not need to do anything about them even if they are the larva of the Japanese Beetle. If you find fewer then 5 larva per square foot they will not be much of a problem, but if you have more then 10 per square foot you might need to do something.
    It is too late this year to apply a good control, Bacillus popillaea or Milky Spore Disease, since the larva are by now too big for that bacterium to do anything. Other means of control can also do serious harm to many of the soil beneficials such as your earthworms, so it is a choice you need to make. Harm the many beneficials in the soil to kill off a few potential pests or just let them live knowing that there are predators out there that will get them.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    you seem to be one of those.. my soil must be sterile for my plants to thrive peeps ... you have to move on from that a bit ...

    you have seen them.. but you have no impact from them ... you have no proof that they will impact beans ...

    you will NEVER remove all bugs from your garden.. and that includes the soil ...

    before you react.. you need a FULL AND PROPER ID ... and then consider the alternatives ...

    so either post us a pic .. or put a couple in a baggie.. and take them to a good nursery ... but dont buy anything from them.. until you check back with us ... sometimes they are all to willing to sell you snake oil ... we will gauge their honesty when afterwards ...

    as kim said.. its all about population levels.. and trust me.. you will never eradicate them in toto ... and there usually isnt a reason to do so ...

    if you are in a agricultural area.. your local farm supplier might also help .. as in.. who did you buy the seed from????

    ken

  • halfandhalf
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I do live in San Diego, I bought the seeds from Home Depot, and the spot where I want to put beans is a 2.5X2.5 square foot area. I have found about 20 of those grubs and squashed them. I can only post from my cell phone and it doesn't allow me to post photos, sorry. Another bit of info that might help is, I have 2 big fig trees next to where I will be planting and the japanese beetles are all over eatting the fruits.
    I guess I will go to a real nursery with baggie in hand and see what they say as Ken suggests.
    Thanks everyone,I'm new to gardening and confused reading conflicting stuff out there.

  • halfandhalf
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Ok update from my last post. I just searched green fruit beetle as jean001 wrote and I found figbeetles, which is what I have in my fig trees. I grew up always calling them japanese beetles. Well,I'm still taking my baggie to nursery, will let you all know what they say. Have a great day!

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    11 years ago

    This is a beetle with many common names. I've always known it as the green june beetle or green fruit beetle.

  • halfandhalf
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    If someone can email me @ christinenewell619@gmail.com then I could send pics from my phone so someone can post them. Thank you :)
    Can't get to nursery til later today

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    but if you killed 20 in that space.. and presuming that was all you saw ...

    whats the point of eradicating whats not there ... just plant your beans ...

    the only way to rid yourself of this.. would be get rid of the fig tree ... and surely no one will recommend that ...

    plant the beans.. if they fail.. so be it..

    i would bet my one shiny nickel.. they wont ...

    ken

    ps: do get the ID.. but i question why you need a remedy ....

  • jean001a
    11 years ago

    I can assure you that you don't have Japanese beetles, even though you and others have thought so for years. (Common knowledge is often incorrect. And it is when it comes to JB in SoCal.)

    Jean
    who formerly gardened in SoCal (Long Beach) for 30-some years and who taught horticulture at a nearby community college there for 15 years.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    11 years ago

    Green fruit beetle grubs look just like Japanese beetle grubs....and dozen others. Japanese beetles are not a possibility. Since you've seen the green fruit beetles (fig beetles), you'd be safe in assuming that they are your grub species.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    11 years ago

    Green fruit beetle grubs look just like Japanese beetle grubs....and dozen others. Japanese beetles are not a possibility. Since you've seen the green fruit beetles (fig beetles), you'd be safe in assuming that they are your grub species.

  • halfandhalf
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks everyone, I did go to nursery and they were figbeetle grubs.
    There is nothing more frustrating to a new gardener....BUGS and losing plants to them! Lol I'll stop obsessing and plant my beans. Thanks again everyone!

  • susanzone5 (NY)
    11 years ago

    Since this is a home garden, you can fluff up the top 6-8" of soil and pick out the grubs near where you are planting your beans. Cut them with a scissor or squish them and leave them for the birds to eat.

    New gardener? You will soon get used to the ups and downs of the insect world in your garden. Some years are worse than others for each insect. Some frustrations and failures are expected. Go with the flow. Squish bugs, tap them into a can of soapy water, spray them off with water, pick them off with gloves. Many ways to get your food without chemicals. Wait till the rodents come, then you will first know garden rage!! lol.

  • jean001a
    11 years ago

    The grubs of the green fruit beetle don't damage any living plants. Instead, they belong to Nature's Compost Crew.