cream coloured grubs in soil

[ashleigh]

is this friend or foe? i have found quite a few in the soil and under the mulch. they are all solitary. they have a brown head. look as if they have caterpillar-type stumpy feet.

i have tried to google it and they look a lot like cockchafer larvae except i’m sure they don’t have the 3 front legs.

[Pete Budd]

Is it anything like this; http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/pictures/data/2/thumbs/IMG_5312.jpg
Thats a vine weevil larva and not to be encouraged as they can do a lot of root damage to certain plants. They cannot survive severe weather without protection and its not a major problem in East Yorkshire where I garden. They tend to be a big problem in pots and can establish indoors, under glass and in tunnels. I did have them decimating primulas in the garden once, after a series of dry mild winters some years ago.

Pete

[ashleigh]

they look just like your picture, except they are not translucent, more of a solid cream colour.

is is possible that vine weevils would be hanging about in a pasture? we only began the garden in september, and these grubs were already here. there are no other veg plots within half a mile, just sheep and cows. and our weather is in no way mild as we are in the pennines.

something has been eating holes in the centre of my strawberry leaves though, and vine weevils like strawberries?

thanks for your input

[bluebell]

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/eggs-larvae-and-caterpillars/11237-larvae-could-cockchafer.html

I found a few of these cockchafer grubs when digging, they are apparenly common in grassland and have little impact.

[ashleigh]

oh ok, i hope they are those then. i didn’t notice the little legs but i will check next time i see them. if they mainly feed on grass roots they are very welcome to!

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