Black turfgrass ataenius and organic matter: a love affair to watch

The black turfgrass ataenius is a small, but troubling insect that can cause significant damage to cool-season turf when the larvae, or grubs feed on the roots during the late spring and summer. Infestations of grubs start to peak when average air temperatures stabilize at 65F or above.

Chemical control of BTA grubs can be effectively accomplished through preventive applications of products such as imidacloprid (Merit), halofenozide (Mach 2), Acelepryn (chlorantraniliprole), Meridian (thiamethoxam) or clothianidin (Arena). However, many researchers have…