Oct 15 2009
Stop There Cranberry Girdler
Cranberry. That word. What comes to your mind? There sure are thoughts of this plum and juicy fruit. Something that you can eat and something that is healthy and delightful and sweet. Now when you say ‘cranberry girdler’, what do you think? It is not a type of food. It is a insect, yes. But it is not the insect you find in cranberries. And it is not sweet and wonderful.
What are cranberry girdlers you may ask? Well, the thing is, cranberry girdlers are actually insects. They look like worms though they are not really such. They are usually gray or dirty white in color and have a head that is brown-orange in color. It is just around 3/4 of an inch long and they bear no markings that are distinct to them. They may be small and look harmless but they can bring much chaos to your lawn or your garden. Now that is something that you do not want to happen after all the effort you had put into it.
Does your lawn or your garden already have cranberry girdlers thriving in them? Well, you may never know if you do not know where to look. These are definitely not like ants which you can spot easily. See, cranberry girdlers would stay in places which are that important to the grass. So that would include the crown and the roots. They are not usually seen above so you may not notice it early on that cranberry girdlers are already wreaking havoc. They would also get the nutrients that the grass needs so the grass dies. What you will see on your end is the grass turning brown and when you pull it up, it will come out easily and would seen like a rug.
Aside from the sign that the grass is turning brown, you will also notice that when you pull out the brown parts of the grass, you will see what is beneath it. When you see larvae below, then you have a cranberry girdler infestation. Do not take that for granted because they easily work their way through the crown and roots of the plants and the next thing you know, there are no more green patches. Instead, all of what you see is brown. Now that would not be a good sight for your eyes.
You can start applying insecticide on the brown areas and all other areas which are affected by the insect. And then make sure that you do weekly inspections to see if it is indeed working. If not, continue to apply. You will know that you have done it right when you no longer see the brown spots spreading and you will also see the insects lying dead already on the soil.
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