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Chafer bug
Greenfields
Posts: 11
I have a terrible infestation of chafer bugs in my lawn. Nearly half is dried up and all but dead. Grubs easily seen beneath the dead grass. I understand nematodes are the way forward. Two questions. 1. Is it ok to apply now? 2. Should I scrape out all the dead grass (which will take it back to soil in an instant) and apply the nematodes to the soil. Maybe the birds will help out more too if the can get to them.
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I use nematodes for both leathejackets and chafer grubs. I saw a big improvement in using them last year for the first time. I get mine from green gardener but there are many suppliers. September / October is the target time to apply although some folks also apply in the spring.
Thanks for that prompt reply. Is there any benefit to completely removing the dead grass.
If the grass is definitely dead then yes you would be better off raking this out and that will also give you a better seed bed for when you sow. Can be a bit tricky this time of the year with dry conditions as watering (you need to keep the seed and soil damp during germination) disturbs the seed bed. Late summer / early autumn is a good time and you could coincide that with the nematode treatment.