flying beetles, Norwich

[becs789]

Hi,

This is a first for me. For the last 3 mornings my lawn has been covered in small beetles which are coming up out of the grass, the beetles appear to mate than are flying off. They are under a cm in size, i've tried to loaded some pictures but i don't seem to be able to. they have brown shell like wings and the underside is a blue grey colour ,can you help with identifying them and also are they doing any harm to the lawn having said that the recent hot weather and sun have already done their worst?

thanks

[charlieb]

Garden Chafers?

[becs789]

Yes that looks like them they're all over my lawn, do you know if they're harmful to the lawn?

Many thanks for showing me.

[charlieb]

The larvae feed on grass roots and the adults eat leaves of trees, but I think you would have noticed any major damage (discoloured lawn last autumn, defoliated trees round about now etc.).

It is possible this autumn you may have problems if they decided to lay their eggs in your lawn (there do seem to be a lot around this year) - although a healthy lawn shouldn't be susceptible.

[becs789]

I was thinking that the lawn was bad due to the weather, but by the number of chafers coming out from it they must have been having a picnic the grass is really very patchy, worn and brown, oh well i shall have to see if there is anything i can do to help it recover after they've gone..

[Gerel]

As said above, the damage to the lawn is done by the larvae feeding on the grass roots. The adults mate and lay their eggs almost as soon as they emerge, so the next crop of larvae will almost certainly already be in the soil. I don't know if there is much you can do about them although I seem to recall reading that there is a nematode available which kills the young larvae.

This year and last we have had thousands of the adult beetles emerging here, however as I'm a rubbish gardener and the lawn is a mess anyway I've never worried about them.

[charliejayne]

i have noticed that these are a new beetle and they seem to like the washing on the line. also the seem to go more in longer grass andwhere the sun is. i have a gardener coming around soon andwill let you know if there is a cheap way of getting rid of them. but if anyone else knows please help. i,m disabled and like to sit in my garden alot but these things are stopping me HELP

[gbvnh1]

May not be your cup of tea but try appreciating them for what they are - interesting new life in the garden! I'd rather have lots of things buzzing around with a few leaves nibbled, than a beautiful but lifeless garden ... that explains why I won't mind when the rose sawfly larva (that are about to spring up in the next few weeks) devour my roses each year!