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Soil prime for pest infestation by Sam Gordon Venango County correspondent Playing soon at a lawn near you, The Invasion of the Grubs and Moles. This seemingly sci-fi thriller could come true in Venango County and in much of northwest Pennsylvania. According to Tom Eberle, owner and manager of Oil City Agway the conditions are right for the invasion. �What we have in our region is the aftermath of some very prolonged wet weather in both the summer and winter,� Eberle said. �This sets the stage for an infestation of a lot of pests that prey on plant roots.� Backing up Eberle�s assertion is Jeff Fowler, Penn State Extension Director in Franklin. �This could be the year we see a larger than usual number of grubs, moles and voles,� he said. �The grubs if unchecked will develop from the larvae stage into a variety of beetles that will attack mature plants in the summer.� Both Eberle and Fowler agree the best way to prevent substantial plant damage is to treat the problem at the source. Fowler said, �Grubs like to live and eat in the enviorment of a plant root system. Luckily, moles and voles thrive on grubs. But the downside is the tunnels that they leave in your lawn.� Eberle added that a variety of products are on the market to treat the problem by destroying the grubs, thus eliminating the food source for moles and voles. Each product has a recommended time of the year to apply. Eberle sees another potential problem on the horizon, a hot and dry summer. �We can�t stay wet forever,� he said. �If the spring and summer turn out to be moisture lacking, look out for lawn problems.� One of the most noticeable result of a lack of rain would be large brown areas on lawns that would allow weeds to take hold, according to Eberle. Just when the snow shovels and ice-melt were being put away here comes more work. Add a comment |
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