African black beetle

The African black beetle is a beetle that is  commonly found in the grasses of the Perth area. The most common symptom is when the individual notices a dead spot in the lawn that is very definitive. Most of the time there will almost be a line in-between the dead grass and the green grass. Given that there is not many other pathogenic problems that pose as a threat to your grass that present the same symptoms most of the time when you see this particular look it is the African black beetle. The black beetles chew into the stems of the plant most of the time just below the betteroutfitideas.com ground level plants may wilt and fall over and strawberries may be hollowed out from beneath also grass will go brown and will be easy to rip out of the ground.

The young larvae typically feed on the dead organic soil in the ground but it is the older larvae that feed on the grass and plant roots and these are the ones that do the damage. The larvae are typically white curl grubs and they grow to about  25 mill. The larvae emerge as adults from mid-January to late February and early march. They then proceed to continue feeding until the weather gets colder after this they continue their life cycle by becoming semi dormant. They then pupate in the soil and black beetles will emerge again as young larvae early mid-January to late February

As far as control is concerned it is best to treat them in the spring months of the year. This is because at this time the larvae is closer to the surface and it is therefore easier to treat because they are more susceptible to the pesticide that you choose to use. It is important to note that spraying the ground once or twice will not control or eradicate the African black beetle. You will need to spray at least three times a week for a month to get on top of the African black beetle.  One of the best active ingredients to look for in a insecticide for black beetle is fenamiphos most of the time it comes in a granular form. After the insecticide has been applied it is then a good idea to add water to the grass area immediately after the application of the insecticide. If you can control the black beetle in the lawn are then this will makes a substantial difference to the problem because this is where most of their life cycle is spent and where the African black beetle semi hibernates over the winter months.

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