Q:Â I vegetable garden in Rubbermaid water troughs, 300-gallon and smaller due to the round tailed ground squirrels that are abundant in my area, Green Valley. Short of emptying them now and then and hand picking the grubs what do you suggest as an organic remedy for my grub problem?
A:Â Just a few grubs in a container garden is not unusual or necessarily a problem. Turning the soil can expose the grubs to the surface and birds would be likely predators. There are multiple species of white grubs and their diets differ somewhat so knowing which ones you have may be helpful.
The largest of these grubs we commonly see are the fig beetles (Cotinus mutabilis). These beetles seek soil that has a significant amount of organic matter in which to lay eggs so our nice vegetable gardens and compost bins with fresh compost and manure are prime real estate. The grubs feed primarily on decaying organic matter and occasionally plant roots so we don’t usually consider them to be pests to manage as much as helpful decomposers.
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Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed to
