UK Gardeners Warned About Hairy Plant-Destroying Pests Flooding Gardens This May
The sun is shining! The bank holiday is within touching distance and I can almost smell my beloved beer garden cider from here. It was a pretty treacherous winter, even for those of us who prefer colder months and millions of us will be racing to spend time in the great outdoors.
The great outdoors where we can find sun, people walking their beautiful dogs and, oh, bugs.
So. Many. Bugs.
In fact, the green-thumbed experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have issued a warning to gardeners and homeowners alike that there is an invasion of bugs spreading throughout the UK.
These hairy pests are called Cockchafers and nicknamed the Maybug. They are known to be a nuisance around the garden but, fortunately, are not harmful to humans. Just annoying (with a funny name).
What are Cockchafers?
Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk, said: “If you’ve sat in the garden on a warm summer evening and suddenly hear a loud, aggressive buzzing noise, it’s likely to be an adult Cockchafer.
“The adult bugs will seek plants and flowers but are unlikely to cause too much damage, grubs, however live in the soil and will be feeding on grass roots which can be detrimental.”
Lovely.
Adult Cockchafers have large brown-coloured, hairy bodies with wings on their back and long antennas on the front. They make a loud buzzing noise which is actually louder than bees!
Grubs are only a few millimetres long and have a plump, creamy white c-shaped body and can be found in the soil.
How to get rid of Cockchafers
Bonnett said: “Adult Cockchafers can be warded off by spraying lavender-scented products around plants and flowers. Make sure to also keep windows shut at night to prevent them from coming inside as they’re attracted to light.
“Grubs can be brought to the surface by watering the garden at night and covering the damp area with a blanket or sack. By the morning they’ll appear on top of the soil.”
Godspeed, truly.