Curl Grubs

What are curl grubs?

White curl grubs (also called cockchafers) are the white grub larvae of the adult African Black Beetle.

They are about 25-30mm in length, white in colour, with a body that is C shaped. They are often confused with witchetty grubs.

What are the symptoms of curl grub?

The larvae can be a serious pest of lawns if they become established. Symptoms include root damage underground causing turf to die off leaving brown patches, holes gouged in potato tubers, roots of potted plants nibbled, resulting in plants looking dried out.

How do you get rid of curl grubs?

Monitor for brown patches appearing in lawns, check lawns if large birds like magpies are pecking at the ground and be vigilant at night, when many adult beetles are drawn to lights at night.

Regular monitoring of your lawns will ensure that a major infestation doesn’t occur. Well-cared for lawns are more likely to resist, and recover from, beetle larvae attack than neglected ones.

If you witness an infestation, throw any curl grubs you find while digging in the garden onto the lawn for visiting birds, or your chooks to feed on to break the lifecycle.

When to watch out for curl grubs?

The most damaging grubs being active in late spring and throughout summer.

Adults may be present from late summer and autumn to late spring and overwinter in soil or debris.

Natural enemies are parasitic wasps such as female flower wasps that burrow underground looking for scarab larvae to lay their eggs in and currawongs and magpies along with other birds.