How to recognize and fight the white worm in our garden

various white worms in their adult stage

several white worms in their adult stage

In the world of gardening and agriculture there are numerous pests and diseases that can attack our plants and / or our crops. In order to know what is giving our plants, we have to look closely at the symptoms and start acting as soon as possible.

The white worm plague is one of the most common in the gardens. Do you want to know how to identify and combat them?

The plague of the white worm

If you have your garden that looks like it has been eaten, it is very likely that you have an infestation of white worms. To begin to recognize them you have to look for whitish, gray or black larvae, in addition we have to learn to recognize the white worm by its appearance.

The adults are brown or black and the larvae are gray-white. They are usually chubby, with an arched body, they measure up to about 4 cm, they have a brown head and well developed legs.

There are numerous species of the white worm and each has a different life cycle. However, they can live up to 3-4 years, hibernating underground in the colder seasons.

These worms can affect all types of ornamental plants that you have in your garden and even the lawn. They can also be found in the trunk of palm treeswith abundant old pruning remains.

how to eliminate worms and caterpillars that affect plantsHow to eliminate worms and caterpillars that affect plants

Related article:

How to eliminate worms and caterpillars that affect plants

To recognize them well, you have to notice that the adults feed on the pollen of the flowers and leaves of the surrounding plants. However, the really harmful ones are the larvae.

These larvae are the ones that cause the damage, since they feed on plant matter decaying and plant roots.

To avoid the appearance of the white worm it is ideal facilitate the soil to air in summersince the hottest times are those where the effects of the white worm are accentuated.

As well we must avoid abundant wateringreduce manure or other compost-based fertilizers, as these attract adult females to lay eggs. To remove them from plants we can use insecticides. Although, as always, it is better to be safe so as not to use chemicals.

Larva-shaped white worm

white worm in the form of a larva

The real problem with white worms

It was already mentioned that this species of worms and / or larvae is a serious problem For any type of vegetation in a garden, it is not so powerful that it affects all the grass in the garden.

What is more, the damage that this worm generates is not the same every year. These larvae are the first stage before metamorphosing into beetles.

That is why this animal is very common in soils with abundant grass and high amount of moisture and excessive amount of organic fertilizers. One of the points that has not been touched until now, is that the worm is not constantly eating grass or any other type of plant.

What is going on, rather its activity intensifies when it is in mid-August and you can maintain your plant material intake activity until the first days of October.

Wireworms cause a lot of damage to a large number of cropsWireworms cause a lot of damage to a large number of crops

Related article:

What is wireworm and what are the remedies to prevent and eliminate it?

This is a great advantage to deal with the tremendous problem caused by this animal, since we can quickly detect its existence in the garden precisely at this time.

Otherwise and if there are several worms, rest assured that your lawn or any other plant that is being attacked by this animal will disappear in a matter of weeks.

How to identify the existence of the worm?

white worm on top of a wood

white worm on top of a wood

Another more subtle but effective ways To detect whether or not there are white worms in your garden is to look at the grass.

We already know that these feed on the roots mainly. So when eating the roots of your lawn, it will turn a dark color or take on a very different color from the rest of the grass.

The reason why this animal has appeared precisely in that place It is due to drought problems, excessive irrigation, that the soil does not have the necessary nutrientsThat there are other types of diseases that favor the proliferation of this worm.

The good news is that once you have identified the area of ​​your lawn that is changing color, you can easily lift the affected piece and dig until you find the worms (es).

Don’t be scared when you find them. Its size can be a bit scary at first glance but don’t worry as they don’t do anything.

To give you an idea of ​​how affected a garden can be, the appearance of the white worm under the lawn can host a small population of between 9 and 13 worms.

Ways to fight white worms

Yes, don’t even think about implementing methods that are unknown to deal with these worms. It is best to use insecticides made for these types of pests.

When you go to buy an insecticide, make sure that the content has in its mixture Dylox, Intercept, GRubEx or Mach 2. These are components that are effective against white worms.

But using insecticides is not the only way to cope and deal with them. There are two more methods that you can also implement in case you do not have access to a chemical product for these worms.

The first one is control or cultural method. This method consists of preparing the soil in such a way that the seeds used, as well as the appearance of weeds and residues on the ground, are as minimal as possible.

The other method is more physically oriented, which is basically have better control of crop edges, as well as a control of the chemicals used for other pests.

But it is recommended that you opt for an insecticide which you allow it to be applied immediately and directly to the soil where these worms are found.

white worms and larvae on the ground

white grubs and larvae in the dirt

Keep in mind that when it is a considerable portion and where a good number of worms have been identified you must apply the insecticide, stop for a moment and then proceed to carry out a superficial irrigation and not so abundant.

The latter is done with the Intention for the insecticide to penetrate the soil and the worms in the area die. Of course, you just have to focus on applying the chemical right in the center of the area and around the place that is being affected by the worm.

Do not hesitate to apply the products and methods of pest control ASAP. White worms in their young stage are very dangerous to plants and highly damaging.

If you don’t want any plant or part of your grass to disappear, you must take the necessary provisions and as soon as possible. Now, if you want to adopt one of these worms and feed them decomposing matter, that is up to you. For tastes and colors, everything is possible.

How to recognize and fight the white worm in our garden

3 thoughts on “How to recognize and fight the white worm in our garden

Leave a Reply

Scroll to top

Discover more from DIY Gardens

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading