Huge Jade, Huge GRUBS!!!!!!

[Handy Mick]

Has anyone come across grubs tunneling through the trunk of a Jade or simmilar?
If so, what are they and how to get rid of?
What could be problems in future with a tunnel through the middle of trunks and branches in a Jade?

[Bretts]

I have come accross wood borers before but not sure if that is what is in your jade. The usual remidy is some chemical squirted into the holes but I just carved them out of my trees. Not sure how this will go with jade but I hear they heal pretty normal from large cuts.

[Handy Mick]

Thanks Bretts,
This grub is like a richity grub, about 1&1/2in long, just chewing a tunnel through, it was weird, never seen this type b4.
I do hope the tree will be fine, I have cut back alot just to get to the grubs though.

[Handy Mick]

I heard along the grape vine metho, so i used a little, I suppose to suffercate the grub, I did use it, lets see what happens now.

[Bretts]

Here is what mine looked like. Sounds differnt to yours

borer.JPG

I have heard of using Maldison but that sounds like nasty stuff

[Jamie]

brett, they look a little like meal worms, the ones that you feed to pet bearded dragons etc. ?

[Seymour]

Mick,
I have found a few curl grubs eating through an old olive stump. I was carving out what I thought was just some rotting olive to find curl grubs inside doing some carving of there own!! I also know of a very experienced artist who has lost some Privet from curl grubs eating their way up through the trunk. Maybe repot to see if the grubs are also attacking the root system of your Jade.

[kvan64]

Here is what mine looked like. Sounds differnt to yours

borer.JPG

I have heard of using Maldison but that sounds like nasty stuff

Yep these guys ate all the leaves on my cycads

[Bretts]

These where deep in the wood Kvan
Oh I agree that this problem could be curl grubs I found them in the base of a large willow cutting and it sure looked like they where eating into the trunk to me.

[Handy Mick]

Thanks guys,
Bretts, no not the same, mine are white and a lot bigger and uglier.
seymour, I did a repot today, didn't find much but will look up curl grub on the net and see what they look like.
Mick

[Bretts]

I got a pic of them too. I was thinking of these and talking about the others Big ones are curl grubs and the smaller one like in my above pic is a wood borer.

[Jamie]

yea there curl grubs brett! they can get absolutely huge too! i hate the buggers, they dont squish to well either! biggest ones i have seen up here are about an inch in diameter and 2-3 inches long!

they will demolish a root system quite quickly!

jamie

[Amanda]

Yep, poop sacks. Fish (and dogs ) love them!!

I've tried drowning these things with different liquids and organic rinses, and even a 24 hour soak in the bath but they are very good at holding their breath it seems the only method I found that worked was manually removing them.

[Jamie]

yea getting them out is the best way, then using a sharp shovel give yaself a little space though they do squirt! and yea somehow they manage to be able to survive underwater bloody things!

[Handy Mick]

Back again,
just done some research on the grubs.
Sorry, not the curl grub, i call these buggers lawn grubs.
Not a borer,
but a......... they have a lot of alias's or spellings.
The scientific name; Endoxyla Leucomochla.
Common names and spellings;
Witchedy grub
Wichetty grub
wichety grub
witjuti grub
witchjetti grub
witchetty grub
Bardy grub &
Bardi grub
But not the way I spelt it previously
Ugly little #@*^er too.
I seems i could have had a real tasty dinner, did you also know that the Aboriginals also used the guts of the grub on teething babies The grubs lasted a long time because of their thick leathery skin, now it doesn't seem so bad thinking back when Mum used to lick a tissue and wipe your mouth
Worth a read up on.
Mick