What is the European Chafer?

The European chafer, Rhizotrogus majalis is a beetle that has been introduced into Canada, and has few natural predators to control it.


European Chafer Grubs

The larval stage of the European chafer is a grub that feeds on the roots of many plants, but prefers the fibrous roots of turf grasses. Grubs have soft, white, C-shaped bodies with tan or brown heads and three pairs of prominent, long legs. The hind part of the body is smooth with dark body contents showing through the skin.
The adult stage of the European chafer is a beetle that is similar to the June beetle in appearance. Both are brown, but the European Chafer is tan or fawn-coloured, and the June beetle is usually dark brown. The June beetle is also and more striking in appearance than the European chafer, having a metallic green head and thorax.

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What is the life cycle of the European chafer?
European Chafer Adults

The European chafer completes its life cycle in one year. The adult chafer beetles swarm in conspicuous mating flights on warm evenings in late June and early July. The beetles fly to tall objects, usually trees or other vertical structures to mate. The adult females then locate nearby lawns to lay their eggs in.

Eggs hatch in late July or early August and the larvae or grubs begin feeding on roots until the ground freezes. In colder climates, the larvae migrate down below the frost-line over winter.

From April to mid-May, the larvae migrate close to the soil surface and feed on turf roots. From mid-May to early June, the larvae stop feeding and pupate (undergo metamorphosis), and the adult beetles emerge two weeks later.

Source: Adapted from the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association

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How do I know if I have European chafer grubs in my lawn?
Turf Damage

In the Spring or Fall, turf that has been damaged by white grubs will lift away from the soil easily because the roots have been eaten and they no longer anchor the turf to the soil. Often, raccoons and skunks will pull back the turf in search of a meal of grubs. This secondary damage is usually more extensive than that caused by the grubs.

Turf that has been severely damaged by birds or other animals may also be brown, wilted or tufted in appearance. Grubs will often be visible when the turf is pulled back. Damage is most severe in the fall and the spring when the grubs are increasing in size rapidly and feeding near the surface.

To confirm the presence of European chafer grubs in your lawn this spring or fall, do the following:
Chafer Monitoring

1. Use a garden shovel or spade to cut three sides of a 12-inch square.

2. Grasp the open edges and peel back the turf like a carpet, towards the attached side.

3. Look for the white, C-shaped grubs (larvae) or cocoons (pupae) in the soil, and just underneath the turf roots.

4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 in at least five different sections of lawn.

5. If you count five or more white grubs per square foot, consider applying a (non-toxic)biological treatment in the summer.

6. If you are unsure of what you have found, place a grub inside a jar or plastic bag, and take it down to your local specialty garden centre for identification.

1. In the Spring, remove excess thatch and aerate compacted soils to ensure that water and air is reaching your lawn. Mechanized soil aerators or spiked aerator sandals (available from specialty garden supply stores) may be used to reduce lawn compaction.

2. Apply a top-dressing of compost or topsoil mixed with grass seed. Use a mix of deep-rooting grasses, such as fescue and rye grass, which are more drought-tolerant and require less watering. Water the newly seeded area thoroughly.

3. Water an established lawn deeply yet infrequently to encourage the growth of a deep-rooted, drought-tolerant lawn. Water no more than once per week until 2.5 cm or 1 inch collects in a container placed on your lawn. Rainfall can substitute the need for watering.

4. Raise your mowing height to 6 to 8 cm or 2.5 to 3 inches, since beetles prefer laying eggs on closely cropped lawns. Higher grass blades will also help to protect the soil surface from water loss during the summer, and encourage deeper root growth.

5. Adult beetles may be vacuumed, hand picked, or shaken from plants into a cloth placed below the plant in the morning when they are still sluggish. Collected beetles may be drowned in soapy water.

1. In areas where turf damage has occurred, either through grub feeding or secondary damage due to animals, clean up loose grass (as desired) and leave affected area until there is no more animal feeding.

2. Dead turf can be incorporated into the soil to add nitrogen. Alternately, small amounts of turf, with soil removed, and can be bagged as green waste. Do not dispose of topsoil. Top-soil should be left in place, since this nutrient-rich layer will help to re-establish a new lawn or groundcover in the area.

3. In the Spring, break-down any remaining clumps of soil, and rake out the affected area until smooth. Apply a top-dressing of compost or topsoil mixed with grass seed (using deep-rooting fescue and perennial rye-grass seeds) over the area. Water the newly-seeded area thoroughly.

4. Consider replacing your lawn with an alternative ground cover such as Dutch White Clover (Trifolium repens) that may prevent European chafer damage in the long-term.

5. In chafer infested areas, some residents have experimented with the use of Remay cloth, plastic sheeting, or landscape fabric to cover their lawns before dusk (approximately 9 pm) when the adult beetles are most active. A cover may help to prevent existing beetles from emerging out of a lawn, or prevent mated females from laying eggs onto a lawn and repeating the cycle.

6. Visit your local gardening centre for other suggestions or advice on maintaining your lawn, or replacing it with alternative groundcovers.

1. Install sensor lights, using one 100 watt bulb for every 15 square metres.

2. Sprinkle pure soap flakes generously near the affected area and remember to water thoroughly. Other repellents such as Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper and even dirty cat litter can be used but anything put only on the surface of the lawn may be less effective. The animal may dig through the repellent and continue digging up your lawn.

3. Consider using a scarecrow.

4. Stake out an area of the lawn with string placed about 30 cm off the ground. Tie noisy objects or aluminum pie plates to the string so they hang and blow in the wind. Staking the string in a zigzag pattern may confuse the intruders. Keep this in place for spring and again in fall.

5. Wind chimes or a radio tuned to a talk show can scare animals away.

6. Try several methods at the same time. (Source: City of Toronto)

Clover Groundcover

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What is the long-term solution?

In order to prevent European chafer damage in the long-term, many residents are now considering the use of alternative ground covers - particularly on sites that are sunny and well-draining, and prone to yearly infestations.

Groundcovers can be selected to be aesthetically pleasing year-round and to require minimal maintenance. They may also be incorporated with foot paths to increase their aesthetic value. Mulch or paving stones can also be considered in high traffic areas.

Trifolium repens (Dutch White Clover) is one example of a low-growing plant that will form a green, durable ground cover that is easy to maintain. It also produces tiny white or pale pink flowers that may attract bees and other beneficial insects to your yard.

For more alternatives to lawn, including shrubs, groundcovers and seeded plants, download the document Alternative Management of a Turf Pest for Urban Streetscape Planting - [PDF 4.1MB]

What is the City doing about the European chafer?

To date, no European chafer beetles or grubs have been detected on public property. The City will be monitoring the health of turf on public land.

Additional Links

Effective Control of White Grubs (Health Canada) www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/consum/whitegrubs-e.html

Healthy Lawns (Health Canada) www.healthylawns.ca

Organic Grub Control (Living Green) www.livinggreen.info/library/organic_grub_control.cfm

Preventing Raccoon Problems (Ministry of Environment) www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/ipmp/Brochures/racoons.htm

Copyright © 2006 The City of White Rock