White grubs- June beetles

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JohnCrichton75 League City, TX(Zone 9a) Oct 06, 2010

I harvested some sweet potatoes last month that were growing in a 12" raised bed and found these grubs everywhere. Then I emptied the soil out of some 15gal smart pots and there they were again. I had been growing squash in these pots over the spring and summer.

I know that these grubs are more notorious for feeding on the roots of grass, but they are bad for veggies as well, right?? How do you control them?

The grubs that I am referring to are always in a C- shape posture and are a bit lathargic. They are translucent at one end and have an orange "head" at the other.

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Oct 17, 2010

These indeed likely are to be larvae of scarab beetles, but not all of these are serious pests; some feed on decomposing organic matter in the soil rather than on roots or other living plant parts. You might try taking some specimens to the Galveston County Cooperative Extension Service office (see http://galveston-tx.tamu.edu/ for contact information) to see if you can get a specific identification.

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JohnCrichton75 League City, TX(Zone 9a) Oct 17, 2010

Thanks for your reply...I never thought of taking specimens to the local extension office. I think at the very least, I will send them some pics. I'm sure they will know all about these pests. Thanks again.

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WillyFromAZ Sierra Vista, AZ(Zone 8b) Nov 18, 2010

I'm not sure if this thread is still active, but here goes. I find a few white grubs in my soil, not a serious problem, but they are there. I strongly suspect that a couple of them have gnawed on a few of my sweet potatoes, leaving an erratic, shallow patch of missing tater skin over maybe 10--15% of the 'tater's skin. Any comments on my suspicions would be appreciated.

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Nov 21, 2010

When 'white grub' species feed on sweet potatoes, it usually results in wide feeding sites scooped out of the surface of the root. If this matches what you see, they may indeed be the culprit. You also may try contacting the Cochise County extension service office for further advice; see http://tinyurl.com/27597uy

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