A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Grubs in the compost pile

Should I be concerned about grubs in the compost? Should I still use it?


Another ?
When you guys say you mulch your vegetable plants, do you mean you put compost around them or that you buy "mulch" at the store and put it around them? That will get expensive.

Don't be concerned about the grubs. You can pick them out and feed them to the birds but i wouldn't bother. You can still use the compost.

I use cheap wethered bales of hay as mulch, i find it does a lot of good, adds humus, keeps the soil cool. Keeps the fruit clean etc. I wouldn't be buying it from a store.

I thought grubs were bad for plants and grass. What am I thinking of?

Can I put plain, home grown compost in my garden as a top dressing to do the things you mentioned?

Are grubs like spiders? Because in my compost pile I have a lot of spiders walking all around the pile. I don't mind them as they are not the mean kind.

I've once ran into a black spider, not a black window, but a pitch black spider with some odd spots. No webs, but was walking...and when I got close to it...it put up a fight with me! It claws were sticking up and it didn't run like other spiders!
I was so scared! I was amazed though!!

Grubbs are like fat, white, short worms that curl into a C. I've heard that if you have them in your yard they will definitely kill the grass so I'm wondering if they will kill my flowers and vegetables. I've heard that if you dig up a plug of sod and see so many grubbs per inch or foot or something then you're in trouble. I've seen 4 or 5 in my compost pile. I threw them in the woods. We don't have a problem with our grass so I can't imagine why they're in my compost pile. I also have fat, thick, tanish color on the top with tiny red legs on the bottom, worm like things that curl into a big C shape. Any ideas on that one?

Did you have any pictures of them Sheri????

there's a great picture at this site.

http://www.plantmeds.com/Grubcontrol.htm

my other worm is a millipede. They curl up into a C shape for defensive reasons. They eat organic matter - hence the compost pile.