New European Chafer Beetles

Infesting Seattle Area Lawns

After years of changing and challenging weather we have an unwelcome guest in the Seattle area. The European Chafer Beetle travelled via airplane from Vancouver, BC and the first major infestation was reported in Burien. Within the last few years their residence has expanded from the south end of Tukwila to as far north as N 205th in Shoreline and east to Kirkland. The infestation of European Chafer Beetles has caused aggressive bird activity as they tear up lawns to get to the grubs. Between the birds and the beetles, most lawns affected look severely damaged.

The beetle grubs live 3 inches deep and eat the roots of the lawn until June when the grubs mature into adults. All spring, the grubs have a buffet of lawn grass roots. Unfortunately, most standard topical treatments are not affective as standard chemical treatments don’t reach the necessary depth to kill the grubs. The organic method of treating the European Chafer Beetles is very expensive and uses beneficial nematodes.

Liquid spray treatments combined with a soil penetrant or wetting agent are the most effective way to control the grubs. The wetting agent is the key to delivering the chemicals of the spray treatment directly to the grubs.

If you are seeing this kind of damage on your lawn you will need to contact a chemical spray service right away. This is not a service I provide, but I want my clients to be aware of what is going on and what is moving north.