Lawn bugs - pic attached

[StilettosAndBrokenBottles]

I had a patch of lawn dry out last summer, and with it being quite a dry summer I thought I'd just reseed it, which went well. However, then this particular patch of grass just died off again, leaving just weeds.

I'd had a sneaking suspicion it was some sort of bug but thought it was weird as it was only one patch, about 1.5m squared. Anyway, yesterday I noticed holes about 1cm wide over this patch, so dug it up today to find these little critters

Any ideas what they are and how to treat? I assumed it was leatherjackets but only found one adult and millions of the bugs in the photo, and these look like young ones to me.

Ive dug them up and removed all the ones I can find, (which was not a pleasant experience!) but am now worried they will spread to other parts of the lawn. I read that nemotodes are the only way really, but apparently they're not very effective as it never gets warm enough in the UK for them to work in the season they are breeding?

Any ideas would be gratefully received.

They are chafer grubs, the larvae of the cockchafer. Hideous things, they will chomp their way through the roots of anything and kill it.

If you google chafer grubs in lawns there will be some useful info come up. The RHS website is useful.

The crows will soon be along to peck them all out, but that’s not good for your lawn either. Sorry.

Thanks for this - I'll be googling away now. They are vicious little things, they've decimated that patch of lawn and I don't know how far they've got through it. I wouldn't have known what they were though, so at least now I've got something to work with - thanks!

Sorry to be immature here but cockchafer 😉😉😉

It sounds like a nickname for a vagina 😂😂😂

Anyway I hope you get rid of the pesky beggars

@thenewduchessofhastings that may have crossed my mind

I'm immature aswell, cockchafer is such a great name. 😂

Although I must admit, I only learnt that was their correct name a couple of years ago. We just called them May bugs.

Tbh, I think they're Welsh or garden chafers. The cockchafer grubs are much bigger (and live longer). There's no chemical control available in this country for domestic use. They'll hatch in early May and as good a chance as you've got is to lower a rotary mower as low as it'll go and mow up the beetles. Nematodes can work under the right conditions, but these can be quite specific.

Turn the earth a little to let the birds get at them. Like, slice the turf md turn it over. The grass will live, just lay it back in place in a few days, do a section at a time.

@picklemewalnuts that's a great idea, thanks. Most of the bit I'd dug up was a bit patchy anyway, but I know there are still some grubs left in other healthier bits of grass so this is a good idea to actually preserve that.