big ugly bug in comost

terriesimon – posted 19 September 2004 18:10

I have these bugs in my compost pile. They are just gross, some are small and some are about 5 inches and curl up and look like giant, fat, white worms. Can someone tell me what they are???

epi 1:10,000 – posted 03 October 2004 21:24

I don’t know what the 5 inch bugs are but you can get rid of them by mixing in fresh grass clippings over the next few weeks until the compost pile heats to an internal temp of 140 to 155°F. If you have a large compost pile this may take a lot of fresh grass clippings.

vybz – posted 09 December 2004 14:29

These big ugly fat white worms are GRUBS and can be very damaging to a healty lawn! Grubs are actually the larvae of many species of beetle. Eggs are laid in the soil in mid-summer, primarily on well-watered lawns in full sun, often near pavement. Damage from annual white grubs typically starts in mid August and may continue until early October. The true white grub (May or June beetle), for example, typically has a three-year life cycle, meaning it could potentially damage lawns throughout the season.

Since grubs feed on the roots of lawn grasses, damage will appear as browning of the lawn. Consider that this also could be due to problems such as drought, poor soil, or diseases. However, grubs are easy to find by lifting sod in damaged areas and checking the root zone for the whitish grubs. Don’t treat for grubs that don’t exist! Typically a population of about 8 to 12 grubs per square foot causes lawn damage that requires control; whereas lower populations may not damage the grass.

Lawns showing damage from grubs may be treated with an insecticide. Insecticides available for homeowners include diazinon (25% EC [liquid] or 5% granular); trichlorfon (Dylox) (6.2% granular); bendiocarb (Intercept), halofenozide (GrubBGon, GrubEx), or imidacloprid (Merit, formerly GrubEx) for control of white grubs. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematode is an example of an alternative product for white grub control that is available. For all products, read and follow all label directions, then apply to damaged areas. Water the insecticide into the soil immediately. If treating a large area, stop after a portion has been treated and water the material in, then complete the rest of the lawn area needing treatment. Only treat in and around affected areas; grubs may only be in a small part of the lawn. Imidacloprid and halofenozide are suggested to be applied before grub damage appears. An example of a way to use these products would be to apply in July to irrigated lawns that are surrounded by dry lawns, especially when adult beetle flight is high in areas with a history of grub damage.

Spring treatment for annual white grub is not suggested since the grubs feed for a short period of time in spring and are reaching maturity, thus are not controlled easily. In addition, turfgrasses are actively growing at that time so usually don’t show damage.

Hope this helps!