Common Grubs Around Bryan, Texas And The Damage That They Do
Grubs are another word for larvae and when we talk about pest issues that are related to grubs we almost always mean beetle larvae. However, every insect that has a complete life cycle produces a grub. Those include:
- Moths and butterflies – Lepidoptera
- Flies – Diptera and their nasty maggots
- Beetles and their large range of larval types
- Fleas – Siphonaptera
- Ants, bees, and wasps – Hymenoptera
- And others too.
Moths and Butterfly Larva Damage
Moths and butterfly larvae do a lot of damage to crops, plants, and even clothing. The carpet moth is a prime example of a moth larva that destroys most anything that is organic and not living, such as wool carpeting, sweaters, pants, jackets, etc. Another pest that destroys similar objects is the carpet beetle. It is in the larval stage that these pests eat clothing, carpets, and even furniture covering.
Beetles and the Damage that they Cause
There are some 800,000 species of beetles worldwide and every single species produces a grub that is hungry. They eat everything from organic matter in the soil, to other organisms. One of the most common beetle pests is the pantry beetle, you bring into your home as beetle eggs in the flour and grains that you buy. Once those eggs hatch, weevils and other beetle species like dermestid beetles emerge as larvae and begin to enjoy your boxed foods and staples. Beetles occupy many niches from tree boring beetles to fruit beetles and they cause considerable damage to crops, landscaping plants, and even your lawn. June beetles and Japanese beetle larvae tunnel into the soil and eat organic matter. During that process, the root system of lawns, shrubs, and trees to dry out and the plant can die. Wood boring beetles are culprits that kill full-grown trees either because of the tunneling or because they carry organisms such as fungi that are responsible for tree diseases such as Sudden Oak Death.
Fleas and the Damage their Larva do
In comparison to the variety of damages caused by beetles, fleas seem harmless. That is until you have a heavy infestation of these pests. We mostly think of the adult flea as the pest, but the reality is that flea larvae are also pests – we just don’t see them. They still bite and feed on blood, which means those little bites we get but don’t know where they came from are likely from flea larvae. They also pester your pets and bit and feet on them too.
Ants, Bees, and Wasps Larvae – Well, thankfully, as social insects, none of the larvae of these pests are pests. These insects actually raise their young and they do not become pests until they reach adulthood. Then, carpenter bees drill holes in our house, ants move in, bite and sting us, and wasps – well, not much needs to be said about wasps that we do not already know.
As pesty as all of these insects seem, many do good, such as pollinating bees and butterflies. So not every larva or grub we encounter is bad. If you are pestered by grubs, reach out to our team and let us diagnose the pest and find a solution that improves your quality of life.
