There are some very simple steps that can be taken to help limit and or control infestations of chafer beetles in lawns, unfortunately from my experience, many customers still do not follow these simple items:
Simple lawn maintenance items to stop the chafer beetle
- Fertilize your lawn.
- Overseed your lawn.
- Keep debris off your lawn.
- Mow your lawn at the proper height.
- Take corrective action if you notice any problem with the growth of your lawn.
The customer who has a full blown infestations of the chafer beetle in their lawn area normally did not follow the steps above and allowed their lawn area to become weak and susceptible to pests and diseases. This leaves the customer with a lawn area that looks like a rototiller has run through it after the crows, skunks and racoons have had their feast of fishing bait. This new condition of your lawn will now be grounds for a lawn replacement and new sod.
To help control the initial stages of a chafer beetle infestation an application of nematodes in the third week of July will probably be 50% effective at decimating the little eggs that were implanted in your lawn. To help increase your odds, other expensive products that work at attacking the eggs are now available to apply near the same period of time. It’s at this point we will now refer to the list above and follow a program to help rejuvenate your lawn area. By doing this list above we are decreasing the chances that we will get a re-infestation the following year. That’s because the chafer beetle life cycle is an annual cycle that if stopped will save your lawn from total decimation. The key characteristic to remember of the chafer beetle that will help you is: The chafer beetle does not like to implant her eggs in healthy lawns, she likes weak lawn areas to procreate. If you present the chafer bitch with a lush, dense, healthy lawn area to nest her eggs, she will probably find somewhere else to do her business.
So, keep your lawn healthy, follow the list above and if you need to replace your lawn, do so, but have confidence that you now have a strong healthy lawn area that the chafer beetle is not likely to attack.
If you want a strong healthy lawn fertilizer and grass seed applications are a must. You can now purchase these items from us using the following link:
Chafer Beetle Resistant Type Sod
Chafer beetles resistant sod is designed to limit the chafer beetle decimation in your lawn area by utilizing fescue type grasses that are not typically part of the diet of the chafer beetle. Learn more….
Recovering your lawn after a chafer beetle attack
After your lawn has been decimated from the crows, skunks and racoons you have basically 2 options:
- Complete lawn replacement.
- Rejuvenate your lawn area with a program.
Use the following links to get help with either of these options:
