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  • 1.  Grubs in our raised beds

    Posted 01-02-2023 01:40:00 PM
    We have a small raised-bed garden in our Kindergarten yard. Three 3' x 6' beds. The plants in one bed struggled compared to the others. While clearing out these plants last month, we noticed that we have an infestation of grubs in that bed.
    I ordered the triple blend of live beneficial nematodes from Amazon - arriving next week. It's been raining a lot so I'm not sure I'll be able to introduce them until things dry out and warm up. Other than this method or the costly - removing the soil and starting with fresh soil, is there any other way to handle this situation? I'm located in Santa Cruz, Northern California.

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    Jan Wald
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  • 2.  RE: Grubs in our raised beds

    Posted 01-03-2023 06:48:00 PM
    Hi Jan,
    Applying nematodes after a rain is one of the best times.  This is a helpful video on getting rid of the grubs, most likely from the Green Fruit Beetle.
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=_bAT3YGo-UQ&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE

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    Sean Gustafson
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Grubs in our raised beds

    Posted 01-05-2023 09:44:00 AM
    Thank You!!!πŸ™
    we will watch and try it

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    Jan Wald
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Grubs in our raised beds

    Posted 02-27-2025 12:07:00 PM

    If it's Japanese beetle grubs, I've been successful with milky spore. 

    Another alternative is having the kindergarteners help out. I've supplied plastic tweezers and buckets of soapy water to my own children and had them practice counting - how many grubs did they remove! We documented it and celebrated it. This was years ago and my kids still talk about it. You can tell the students they saved the garden from the grubs and even provided a prize πŸ˜‰



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    Hillary Neaf
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Grubs in our raised beds

    Posted 02-28-2025 12:15:00 PM

    Hi Jan,

    • The 3-1 Nematode pack from Arbico (you can order directly from them vs. Amazon) is great -  just remember you need to use them quickly as they are living creatures and need to get into the ground ASAP. They will kill grubs but may not do anything about any grubs that have already pupated.
    • Be sure _not_ to use any of the Japanese beetle attractant-base products (the sticky pheromone square that goes into a plastic collection-trap) in the garden proper - they are effective if you put them a ways upwind of the garden, stick the pheromone square about 3" down the side of a 5-gallon bucket filled about a foot-deep with water. The neighborning beetles fly in, hit the pheromone and slide into the bucket before getting anywhere close to your crops. 
    • ID the grubs (your extension office should have handouts with images), and plant herbs/flowers that attract whatever eats or lays eggs in those grubs - like parasitic wasps - and also grow companion plants that deter that specific grub's adult and/or plant 'trap plants' that they'll go to INSTEAD of the veggies in your beds - 'carrots love tomatoes' is a useful book that lays a lot of your choices out - the extension office calls this 'integrated pest management' and it's been effective for me.
    • before planting a bed out, consider bringing in chickens to eat the grubs!

    good luck - after the issue of keeping grass out of the raised beds, the beetles and their grubs are the next pesky-est task!



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    sue salinger
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Grubs in our raised beds

    Posted 03-02-2025 03:08:00 PM

    Identifying the grubs would be an interesting project for the students.  Find some grubs and send them to your local Extension/ Master Gardener office for positive ID.  Ask for documentation/ publication on how to ID. Non chemical grub control can be very specific. Many grubs are identified by the patterns on their raster (butts).  The kids get a kick out of this and need to use magnifiers, Its a great learning experience.  Once identified, make a screening tool using 1/4" or less chicken wire and have the students sift the soil in the affected bed into a wheel barrow and then put it back in the bed.  Wait until the soil starts to warm as the grubs will come closer to the surface. Use the collected grubs as bird food and explain that young baby birds need soft bodied caterpillars to grow as they can't eat seeds yet.  You will be surprised by how many birds flock to this feast.  So many learning lessons without using any chemical additives.



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    Judy Pfister
    Delaware Master Gardener
    Millsboro, DE
    Judy
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    Original Message


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