Taters getting chewed up

[woodsy]

I'm thinking its the grub worms, June bug type.
Anyone else having this problem?

[a'ightthen]

As a kid, I thought June bugs were cool ... tie them to a string and they were a toy!

As an adult, I despise them

Wonder what happened?



Oh yeah, I noticed them doing stuff that I no longer consider to be fun ... like eating my peaches

[woodsy]

Pretty sure this is the culprit, see them as i dig the potatoes.

[praieri winds]

we had ants eating ours pill bugs wil also

[Danaus29]

I've got no potatoes for the grubs to eat. Something big beat them to it.

[Pete Q]

June bug grubs will definitely do some damage if you see them around your taters. I lost over half of my harvest last year to grubs. Often found them still chewing in the hole when dug them out. I used milky spore powder and did not see a single grub this year where I applied it. Very expensive treatment, but it is supposed to be effective for ten years.

[thequeensblessing]

Voles ate our potatoes leaving nothing but a hollow shell. We caught them in the act. But they only ate our white potatoes and left the red ones alone. Wonder why??

[Paquebot]

This type of grubs need a steady supply of roots and other living organic matter to feed on. That's one reason why they are most reported as doing damage in ground which was previously sod. Those and wire worms are almost automatic pests in such soil. What is being found now is what will continue to feed until fall and then pupate to emerge as a beetle next May. Break the cycle by deep tilling now either by conventional plow or rototiller. Then keep the area free of weeds to deprive any survivors a source of food. Repeat the deep tilling in the spring and you should be about 99% rid of them.

Martin

[woodsy]

So far the grubs have made a mess of the Superiors, the Red Norlands not so much in the same piece of ground.
I am afraid of what i will find in my other two patches that i haven't touched yet, Kennebecs, Katahdins,
Golds and King Harrys. They are all done but the cold room isn't cool enough for storage yet. I will be digging as soon as possible though to prevent further damage.
Moving on to different ground next year may help that crop.
Thanks for the input and also tilling/plowing tips.

[Paquebot]

Moving to a different section of the property will only work if you know that there are less grubs there. After harvest, potatoes don't leave much for the grubs to eat. As it was, the tubers were the only food available for them since the roots are below the depth where grubs operate. If the new area also has grubs, then milky spore may be your only solution if you don't go the tilling route.

Martin

[themamahen]

i had slugs and earwigs eating my potatoes