The soil-dwelling larvae of scarab beetles are called grubs. They can feed on dead organic material or plant roots. Some species, including the cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha), European June beetle (Amphimallon sp.) and the garden chafer (Phyllopertha horticola), can cause great damage by root feeding. Meadows, pastures or lawns are particularly affected. If large numbers of white grubs occur, the turf can be destroyed, which leads to landslides on steep slopes.
Already in 1991, a program for the biological control of grubs was launched by the Swiss Federal Institute for Agricultural Research (now Agroscope). In it, entomopathogenic fungi (fungi naturally occurring in the soil that attack insects) are propagated and spread in areas with a high number of grubs in the form of inoculum.
This program is still successfully continuing today, more than 30 years later, due to a constructive cooperation between research, industry and practice. Since 2025, FiBL has taken on the role of the research partner. The FiBL team provides scientific support, contributes to maintaining the effectiveness and the quality of the fungal product and deals with new issues and challenges of biological white grub control.
Project partner
