The City of Revelstoke has seen an influx of chafer beetles and grubs.
The city has contacted the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society for more information about the insect.
Grubs have a white, C-shaped body with a brown head and can grow up to 25 mm long. The best management option is maintaining healthy turf or using chafer beetle-resistant ground cover. In an online statement, the city said healthy, vigorous, well-irrigated turf can withstand low levels of grub feeding.
The city advises residents to mow at six to nine cm, as taller turf is less preferred by egg-laying female beetles and is more drought-tolerant. It also suggests not reseeding until feeding is complete and grubs have pupated in the spring, in late April.
“Do not remove soil from infested areas, as chafer can be spread to new areas by the movement of infested soil. Do not bring plants in from infested areas,” the statement said.
Composting will not kill larvae. Replanting lawns with tall fescues or native plants such as yarrow can make them less attractive to chafer beetles.
