Raccoons and Skunks are turning up the turf again, and its because they are hunger and your lawn is loaded with chafer beetle grubs. It’s becoming a common sight in Delta—lawns decimated by birds and animals that desperately dig for chafer beetle grubs.
“Overnight they could destroy somebody’s lawn—the whole lawn,” said Richard. “You have a family of five or six raccoons, and they will literally rip up a whole large lawn in one night. It looks like a rototiller has gone through the lawn.”
Lubberts first noticed the beetles in Richmond a few years ago. It’s now such a big problem for homeowners and strata buildings that some people are considering installing artificial turf, he said.
“The degree of severity is huge right now,” he said. “It’s definitely getting worse.”
First found in New Westminster in 2001, the beetle has since spread to Richmond, Burnaby, Vancouver, Coquitlam and North Delta, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Damage is done during the grub, or larvae, stage. The grubs feed on the fibrous roots of grass, which crows, raccoons and skunks quickly rip up each spring and fall in search of the tasty pests.
In a report to Delta council Tuesday, city staff are planning to make it easier for homeowners to fight the yard menace. Proposed is a permitting system, which would allow residents to apply for an exemption to summer lawn watering restrictions.
Water is key to controlling grubs without pesticides.
Microscopic round worms, known as nematodes, are the most effective defense against the chafer beetle, according to Lesley Douglas, the city’s manager of environmental sustainability. Nematodes—available at garden supply stores—are applied to infested lawns at the end of July when the beetle is beginning its grub stage. Effective treatment involves two weeks of regular watering.
Watering exemption permits would be good for 21 days inside July 15 to Aug. 15, and would be available free to homeowners with water meters and proof of nematodes purchase. Homeowners without a meter would pay $33.50 and be required to sign up for water meter installation.
Chafers were first spotted in Delta in 2010, according to Douglas, who noted the invasive pests have since spread across the city, causing “significant damage” over the past 12 months.
Even city boulevards, which homeowners are responsible for maintaining, haven’t been left unscathed. But so far the city’s inventory of parks has faired well due to regular maintenance, according to city spokesperson Kim Decker.
Lawns with moss are more susceptible to damage, she noted, along with turf that’s mowed short.