Curl Grub

[Redsonic]

I found 10 of these little assassins in a 155mm nursery pot the other week when I finally got around to potting up a Jaboticaba I bought about a year ago.
Being beetle larvae, I gather they are unlikely to have originated at my place, because all my plants are on raised mesh shelves?
Anyway, I have never seen these guys beyond the first potting into bonsai mix.

CurlGrubs.jpg

[melbrackstone]

Diatomite used to be the best way to stop the beetles laying eggs in your mix, I understand, because the minute skeletons caused the eggs to be shredded...

Don't know how we're going to stop them now...

[Redsonic]

Yes, it made me nervous to be potting the tree into a mix without diatomite. Are there likely to have been eggs in the soil? I am hoping the grubs don't like the sharp zeolite and scratchy pumice I am using now

[melbrackstone]

Didn't you buy some more diatomite recently? Just a thin layer across the top might deter new grubs...I would hope the majority of the eggs would have hatched into those evil grubs by now?

[kcpoole]

From what I understand they are laid on the surface by beetles and then they grow from there.

Regarding the use (or not of Diatomite) Curl grubs like these are the reasons I moved to non organics based oon diatomite about 15 years ago.
Siince the quality went south a few years ago i have moved on to Akadama, Pumice and Zeolite instead.

Still no curl grubs and still can reuse my mix when repotting.

I sell a 14 L bag of my premix as above for those that want small amounts or want to try it out.

Ken

[Redsonic]

Didn't you buy some more diatomite recently? Just a thin layer across the top might deter new grubs...I would hope the majority of the eggs would have hatched into those evil grubs by now?

I used that crumbly diatomite in my vege garden - now regretting not saving some. Thanks for the info, Ken. I wonder if 30% organics in my mix will be enough to support the grubs. I will update this post if I see any in my mix.

[melbrackstone]

you can still buy diatomite dust, which is used in the bee industry.... also to stop fleas breeding on the ground where dogs tend to spend a lot of their time in summer...

I heard that the Capalaba produce store was going to be stocking the potting mix size again soon...

[shibui]

I gather they are unlikely to have originated at my place, because all my plants are on raised mesh shelves?

The adult beetles can fly. One may have decided your pot was a good place to raise a family. One year I had some in pots on my raised benches but have not seen them since even without diatomite in the mix but I doo keep an eye out for the tell tail signs.

[kcpoole]

Didn't you buy some more diatomite recently? Just a thin layer across the top might deter new grubs...I would hope the majority of the eggs would have hatched into those evil grubs by now?

I used that crumbly diatomite in my vege garden - now regretting not saving some. Thanks for the info, Ken. I wonder if 30% organics in my mix will be enough to support the grubs. I will update this post if I see any in my mix.

Many members of the School use Rays mix and blend it with inorganics 30% and rarely see them.
1/3 inorganics or more usually stop them infesting the pot I think.

[melbrackstone]

That's true for me too, Ken. I have probably used even higher percentages of organics at times, but always added diatomite as the curl grub shredder.

[Redsonic]

I was digging a hole in the garden the other day to plant a coffee tree, and lo and behold:

IMG_1480.jpg

I have never seen curl grubs so large before. I gather they are probably Christmas beetle larvae, or similar. I placed them under a hedge in the yard and put plenty of diatomite in the hole before I planted the tree. When I went back to check on them, most of them had already burrowed back into the soil.

[melbrackstone]

You must have a healthy garden Sonya, cos many people have been lamenting not only the loss of bees, but also Christmas beetles!

[Redsonic]

You must have a healthy garden Sonya, cos many people have been lamenting not only the loss of bees, but also Christmas beetles!

I had heard that Christmas beetles were on decline, which is why I carefully relocated them to a hedge plant I wasn't too attached to

[kcpoole]

You must have a healthy garden Sonya, cos many people have been lamenting not only the loss of bees, but also Christmas beetles!

I had heard that Christmas beetles were on decline, which is why I carefully relocated them to a hedge plant I wasn't too attached to

Well done!.
I love them in the ground but not in my Bonsai or stock tree pots

Ken

Ps as a bit of a plug, if you cannot get any decent Diatomite you can use Kanuma or Akadama as you gritty substrate as they do not survive in these either.