Pest Control Pros Warn Property Owners to Look Out for Masked Chafers

Pest Control Pros Warn Property Owners to Look Out for Masked Chafers

Cyclocephal_borealis_Adult.jpg

Before long, masked chafers will be rearing their grubby little heads and dining on turfgrass roots. Maybe you’ve run across one of the pesky, masked chafer grubs already. Typically white or yellow, when uncovered by an unsuspecting property owner, they’ll quickly assume a protective, c-shape position. If the uncovered grubs are then picked up, unfurled and measured, they’ll likely be 1-inch long or less. Despite their unassuming size, masked chafer grubs frequently eat enough turfgrass roots to destroy an entire lawn unless pest control pros are called in to intervene.

Of course the grubs are just part of the problem. Property owners must also contend with the adults because they are voracious eaters too. The adults share physical similarities with other turfgrass beetles. As such, it tends to take a trained exterminator’s eye to sort masked chafer beetles out from their six-legged brethren. It is crucial that they verify the species. Otherwise, pest control efforts are apt to largely be ineffective.

All of the adults start out as 3/64-inch white eggs, which are placed roughly 6-inches under the ground by their mothers. They normally turn into 3/16th-inch long, famished larvae in approximately two to three weeks. The larvae eat all summer long until the weather gets too cold for them to function and they must overwinter. During the following spring, they resurface, pupate and turn into brown, ½-inch to 1-inch long adults. Understandably, the adults then turn around and mate, thereby keeping the population growing.

Pest control experts traditionally eliminate masked chafer grub and beetle infestations with a variety of resources. For example, they may suggest altering a property’s exterior lighting and sprinkler schedule to create an unfavorable soil environment for the growing grubs. They may also use insecticides or unleash the masked chafer beetles’ natural enemies into the environment. To learn more about those methods and others that are used to rid properties of masked chafer beetles, please contact us.

div#stuning-header .dfd-stuning-header-bg-container {background-image: url(https://www.homepest.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/HomeFeaturedImage.jpeg);background-size: initial;background-position: top center;background-attachment: initial;background-repeat: initial;}#stuning-header div.page-title-inner {min-height: 650px;}