Fighting grubs: 2022 threatens the cockchafer plague

Created: 05/04/2022, 11:30 am

By: Joana Lück

Even if cockchafers are a symbol of spring, if they appear in large numbers, they endanger trees and plants.

In 2022 another plague threatens.

Berlin – In their adult form as cockchafers, grubs are large insects that many people still know from “Max and Moritz”.

Wilhelm Busch already described the beetles as numerous, which are shaken out of the tree and are the focus of the fifth prank.

But even if you don't find the cockchafer in bed, they can destroy gardens and forests, because in 2022 another major plague is imminent.

Fighting grubs: 2022 threatens the cockchafer plague

According to experts, 2022 will be another cockchafer year.

(Iconic image) © Stock&people/Imago

The life cycle of a cockchafer consists of eating and digesting: during the four years that they live underground as larvae, they feed on tree and plant roots.

According to the German Nature Conservation Union ("NABU"), 2022 is another (forest) cockchafer year in southern Hesse and northern Baden.

Therefore, there is a risk of a pronounced cockchafer season:

• According to NABU, soil samples are regularly taken, especially in affected forests, to find out how far the grubs, i.e. the cockchafer larvae, are in their development.

• Hessen Forst warns again this year of a large number of the small animals that endanger agriculture and cause road closures, according to NABU.

• Dry periods with little rain make it even easier for the cockchafer, as they can reproduce faster.

After mating, the females lay their eggs in several batches in the loose soil.

The white grubs, i.e. cockchafer larvae, usually develop completely in the soil and feed on plant roots during this time.

In the autumn of last year, the larvae turn into young beetles.

After hibernating in the ground, they hatch at the end of April.

May beetles eat the leaves of fruit trees as part of what is known as ripening until they die, while cockchafers prefer oak, beech and hornbeam.

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Fighting grubs: You can do that

May beetles are only really a pest when they have multiplied and appear in large numbers.

If you still want to get rid of the buzzing herald of spring, you should search the ground for the beetles early enough.

A well-aerated and thatched lawn, insect protection nets and a lack of lighting in the garden also act as a deterrent, as beetles are attracted to light.