Success Against Chafer Grubs
Here are some examples of where Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer has been used to deal with chafer grub infestations. Stonehenge siege lifted
English Heritage is winning its battle against invading forces at Stonehenge, Wiltshire thanks to native nematodes.
Hosting 800,000 human visitors a year is one thing, but when the famous landmark found chafer grubs plaguing its grass
pathways, the world-renowned visitor attraction needed help! It came in the form of Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer, produced
by Becker Underwood, the world's largest producer of nematodes, which was applied to 5000 sq m of grass to the south-east
of the stones.
Chafer grubs, one of the top ten garden pests according to the RHS, had caused problems for years by eating the grass
roots. This was exacerbated by jackdaws pulling up the grass to seek out the grubs, resulting in unsightly bald patches.
Add to that the constant flow of visitors and English Heritage had to keep moving visitor paths away from the damage that
encircled the famous stones. There was yet another problem too - when the chafer grubs hatched, the resulting swarm of
beetles would fly up at the visitors who found it extremely off putting to say the least.
Due to the large number of visitors including children and with local wildlife and sheep grazing in the neighbouring
fields, there was no way that English Heritage wanted to resort to chemicals so they had to come up with a natural
environmentally friendly solution - Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer. Within a week of the first application, back in September
2006, the secondary damage from wildlife reduced considerably. A review of the result in April 2007 has led English
Heritage to order more Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer - enough to treat an area twice the size of the original application.
Says English Heritage's Chris Bally, Landscape manager for Stonehenge and the south-west, "Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer has
cured the treated areas. We found it extremely effective and chafer grubs have not caused us a problem at all this year
on the treated areas. Now we are targeting other infected areas and hopefully we will not have a chafer grub problem at
all in a couple of years."
Seaford Golf Club in East Sussex
Dustin Houghton, the Course Manager/Head Greenkeeper at Seaford Head Golf Course, East Sussex is a happy man after Becker
Underwood's nematodes stopped his greens and fairways from being wrecked by hundreds of crows that frequent the course
looking for tasty chafer grubs and leatherjackets.
From August to October chafer grubs and leatherjackets can wreak havoc on well cared for turf and lawns, bringing misery to proud gardeners across the land. Now, as confirmed by Dustin, these two pests can be dealt with effectively using Becker Underwood's new Nemasys range, which includes Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer and Nemasys Leather Jacket Killer.
"I was despairing," says Dustin. "As Seaford is a local authority course we take the use of chemicals seriously and because of the EMAS policy we have not been able to use Chlorpyrifos and Gamma HCH to control the pests for over five years. The crows attacked the course in abundance looking for chafer grubs and leatherjackets and we tried everything from making loud noises to feeding them with corn. I got in touch with various organisations and then a supplier put me in touch with Becker Underwood who was trialling products for the pests.
"We have been trialling the products for two years now and we have certainly seen a tremendous difference," continues Dustin. "We have treated eight trial sites on the fairways and treated all the greens and we seem to be pest free."
"We used to spend around £4,500/£5,000 to repair and replace turf where the areas have been wrecked by feeding birds," says Dustin "This outlay has been reduced by half. We are a text book case for chafer grubs and leatherjackets - well drained Downland site and the grubs prefer the top slopes so I am glad that Becker Underwood came up with a solution!"
By using Nemasys, which is safe for children pets and wildlife, the gardener adds more nematodes to the soil so that there are enough of them to attack the target pest. The nematodes used are naturally occurring organisms that are already present in the soil, but their numbers are insufficient to deal with an infestation. After a period of time the number of nematodes falls back to the background level of the environment, their food source having been eliminated.
Straight From The Horse's Mouth
A prestigious stud farm in Thetford, Norfolk has found a winning formula in its annual battle with chafer grubs, which have
plagued its land for years. Head gardener of the Shadwell Estates Company Limited's 6,000 acre estate, Stan Copeman, has
won control over the grubs after trials of Becker Underwood's nematode based Chafer Grub Killer, available to both
commercial and home users, on two hectares of grounds comprising the ornamental lawns and playing field.
"Our grounds used to be like a ploughed field each year as the birds dug up the grass to get to the grubs. This year, where we applied Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer, we saw a dramatic difference," says Stan. "The birds stopped feeding within 10 days on the treated areas, so it was clear that the nematodes had done the job."
Shadwell Estates stud farm, which plays host to over 200 horses each spring, has a light sandy soil, perfect for the chafer grubs to move through, eating the roots of the grass as they go. Birds then come along and rip up the grass to get at the grubs, causing devastating damage as they harvest an easy meal.
Stan Copeman had tried other remedies, without success, so when he read about Becker Underwood's nematode solution in a trade magazine, he called them for more information and advice.
As a result of that advice, the nematodes were applied using an Ecosprayer fitted with flood jets but no filters, mounted on a compact tractor. First the ground was watered and then the nematodes applied, including a wetting agent to ensure good application. The ground was then kept moist so that the nematodes were washed through into the soil to get at the grubs.
"We found the whole process very simple and the results are great," says Stan. "We will certainly be using Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer again this year as infestation from surrounding areas will have taken place."