Action to combat grubs in gardens
Holes have appeared in the flower beds of the Abbey Gardens in Bury.
BOSSES at a Bury St Edmunds beauty spot are taking action against a destructive insect outbreak.
A biological organic control is being used to combat the chafer grubs, which are damaging the lawns in the Abbey Gardens.
The grubs are eating the roots of the turf in the formal area in the centre of the gardens and birds and animals are also digging up the soil searching for them.
Damien Parker, parks manager for St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said: “It makes the area look a little untidy but as soon as the grass is being pulled up our gardeners are going to reinstate and treat it.”
They are using the biological control, nematodes, to destroy the grubs.
Chafer grub larvae hatch out to become flying beetles –sometimes known as May bugs.
It follows a smaller outbreak of the grubs last year.
Mr Parker added: “We used a chemical last year and it wasn’t 100 per cent successful and this year it’s definitely worse so we’re trialling this nematode. It’s happened later this year I would say because we had a cooler summer.”
The treatment is completely harmless to children, pets, birds, wildlife and food crops.
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
