Heteromask Spray
Our recommended nematode for white grubs, including Japanese beetle and European chafer grubs.
From $37.99
Oriental Beetle
Anomala orientalis
Straw-colored beetles with dark markings whose white grubs eat grass roots in lawns, mainly in the Northeast.
How to control oriental beetle
- Use
- Heteromask Spray (also works: Scanmask Spray, Scanmask Topdressing)
- When
- March to June or August to September. Late summer and early fall is best.
- Where
- Areas of lawn that show damage and areas in full sun, plus the drip zones of shrubs and trees.
What it looks like
Oriental beetles are straw-colored with irregular black markings, which vary a lot from beetle to beetle. They're a lawn pest in the Northeast and along the East Coast. Their larvae are white grubs: milky white, C-shaped, with a brown head.
Like most white grubs, they have one life cycle a year, feeding near the surface in late summer and again in spring.
Damage
The grubs eat grass roots, leaving brown, dying patches that pull up easily. Animals digging for grubs are often the first sign.
How nematodes help
The beneficial nematodes in Heteromask hunt grubs in the soil. Oriental beetle grubs are harder for nematodes to kill than Japanese beetle grubs, especially once they're large, so treating young grubs is important.
How to apply
Treat with Heteromask from March to June or August to September. Late summer and early fall is best, while the grubs are young. Scanmask also works.
Focus on areas of lawn that show damage and areas in full sun, plus the drip zones of shrubs and trees.
See How to apply for step-by-step directions, or use the calculator on the Heteromask Spray page to see how much you need.
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Recommended products
Scanmask Spray
Kills the widest range of pests. Our pick for several pests at once or for preventing them.
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Scanmask Topdressing
The same Scanmask we've sold since 1985, mixed with peat moss or potting soil and spread by hand. Keeps up to a year in the fridge.
From $42.99