Mulch your leaves – less grubs

It’s that time of year, when we get bombarded by ads for pumpkin-flavored everything, and the unending battle of removing fallen leaves. This fall, consider recycling some of your leaves back into the soil before hauling them all away. The process of shredding the leaves back into the turf causes mycelium or fungi to grow in the soil which grubs do not like. A type of white mycelium is toxic to grubs. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching thread-like hyphae. Therefore, no systemic grub control pesticides need to be applied. These grubs are white, thick C- shaped worms that feed on the roots of grass, killing patches of lawn. Grubs are the larvae of the Japanese beetle. The insects lay their eggs in the soil; these eggs turn to larvae; the larvae feed on the grass roots; and eventually pupate into an adult and start the cycle all over again. As an additional benefit, the leaf mulch improved the soil for microbial beneficial insects, including earth worms.

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/deltabc-1.983313/blog-mulch-your-leaves-less-grubs-1.2097028

 

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