Topic: Maggot like grubs (and alot of um) PICTURES NOW INCLUDED

[antdg]

hi

I have just started to dig my allotment over for the first time today. From what I have been told by my neighbours, it was dig over not last year but the one before. Then several inch of manure was put on, then nothing until I took over.

Since I have had it (5 month) I have had it covered with plastic sheeting.

Today I started to dig it over and remove any weeds. After only several feet I started coming across patches of maggot like grubs, each patch must have contained 50 - 100 grubs. (sorry I have no pictures but I did not take my camera today) The grubs were a dirty white colour with a dark brown / black head and about 1/2 an inch long. They seemed to be in the manure layer on top of the soil.

Has anybody got any idea what these maggot / grubs will be (by the way they were alive and moving)

hope you can help




cheers

Tony

[jennym]

Could be wireworm - like this?
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/wireworm.htm

[Gardenantics]

Sound like Vine Weevil? Have a look;http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/insects.htm#The%20Enemy

[Roy Bham UK]

 :o These are like what I have found in my lottie soil deep down after digging, I've been stabbing them wiv me fork :P

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lawnpro-kc.com/lp/jpeg/bugs/grubs.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lawnpro-kc.com/lp/grub.html&h=182&w=192&sz=9&tbnid=jWGhMBUiBBM-QM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=98&hl=en&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwhite%2Bfat%2Bgrubs%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

[Mimi]

They sound like chafer grubs.  They live under grassed areas usually and eat the roots.  Don't knowenough about them to tell you what damage they could do in a lotty, but I would try and get rid of anyway.

[Gardenantics]

Hi Roy,
Have you got "Bush Tucker" grubs in your garden, or are you stabbing them wiv a dinner fork, sound a bit scary if they are big enough to stick with a garden fork!

Brian

[Tora]

I saw them in my pot of lily once. I couldn't bring myself to squash it so left it in a visible place for birds.
Whenever I see grubs I just leave them exposed. Usually birds come and eat it for me! :D

[Roy Bham UK]

Hi Roy,
Have you got "Bush Tucker" grubs  in your garden, or are you stabbing them wiv a dinner fork, sound a bit scary if they are big enough to stick with a garden fork!

Brian

Very close to "Bush Tucker" Grubs Brian ;D the largest being the thickness of a pencil :o and I def used mi garden fork as I wanted to burst em good and not just prick em :P ;D

[cleo]

Ha ha-Bush Tucker grubs-and there was me thinking once I would now be living in Oz,. Leave the soil exposed for a couple of days and let the birds do the work for you

[Gardenantics]

Not Vine weevil anyway! My guess is the reason they are maggot like is because they ARE maggots. They don't look hard enough for wire worms, so relax, and give the local robin a slap up meal.

Brian

[Robert_Brenchley]

They're definitely maggots, ie fly larvae. The interesting bit is, what sort of fly, and what are they feeding on. Whatever it is, lets hope they won't be after your veg.

[jennym]

Erm, I think that in the bottom picture are wireworms (click beetle larvae), and in the top picture are leatherjackets (crane fly larvae).

[antdg]

Both pictures are the same maggot / grubs. The top pic show were I found them, in between the soil and manure. The bottom pic are the same maggots taken out and put on to plastic sheet for another pic.
I do hope they are nothing to worry about. There are lots and lots of these all over my plot in patches.
Just had another thought these critter are no larger than maggots that you buy for fishing ie 7 to 10 mm long and no thicker than cooked spaghetti.
Cheers

Tony

[Travman]

I would say leatherjackets.
Look at this link for a photo to match.
http://www.greengardener.co.uk/leatherj.htm

[Larkspur]

They definately look like maggots. Cranefly larvae leather jackets) are brown. Since maggots generally feed on decaying flesh, the main question is what is in your plot that they are feeding on. :o

[Paulines7]

They are definitely NOT crane fly larvae (leather jackets) as they are the wrong colour and the segment pattern and thickness of skin is different.  I have thousands of them under my grass and find them everytime I take off turves to make new flower beds.  I pick them out and feed them to the chickens.

They look like maggots to me as many others have said.  Are you sure there isn't a dead body somewhere in your allotment Tony?    :o :o :o

[Robert_Brenchley]

If they're found between the soil and manure, there's a good chance that they're feeding on the manure. Is it fresh?

[antdg]

From what I have been told by my neighbour the last person to have my lottie cleared the plot by digging it over. Then applied a covering of manure approx a few inches deep and then left the plot and did nothing to it. This was not last year but the one before. I have had the plot for approx 5 month and have not done a lot to it. the only thing that has been done it the council came in and strimmed the whole thing and then I covered it in black plastic.
hope this helps
I have not seen no sign of anything dead or rotting (flesh wise) and there are no strange smells of rotting flesh?
As can be seen from pic one they seem to be between the soil and a layer of manure.
cheers

Tony

[antdg]

sorry forgot to say

Is there any service where I could take some of these critter to so they could be identified. Not sure where?

Cheers

Tony

[Robert_Brenchley]

Either a university entomology department, a natural history museum, or somewhere they do research on agricultural pests. your profile says you're in Bolton, and I don't know the area at all.