 The European Chafer
The European chafer is a new turf pest to our region and first appeared in New Westminster in 2001. It has spread throughout most of Burnaby and into other parts of the region, appearing in lawns and boulevards.
Since the European chafer is an exotic pest, there are few natural predators to control its population. The City is currently exploring a number of natural control methods for public lands, that do not require the use of potentially harmful chemicals. New recommendations are now available.
Read below for more information on the European chafer, or print a copy of the following brochure:
This page covers the following topics:
What is the European chafer?
The European chafer, Rhizotrogus majalis is a beetle that has been introduced into Canada, and which has few natural predators to control it.
 European Chafer Grubs The larval stage of the European chafer is a grub that feeds on the roots of many plants, but prefers the fibrous roots of turf grasses. Grubs have a soft, white, C-shaped bodies with tan or brown heads and three pairs of prominent, long legs. The hind part of the body is smooth with dark body contents showing through the skin.
The adult stage of the European chafer is a beetle that is similar to the June beetle in appearance. Both are brown, but the European chafer is tan or fawn-coloured, and the June beetle is usually dark brown. The June beetle is also and more striking in appearance than the European chafer, having a metallic green head and thorax.
What is the life cycle of the European chafer?
 European Chafer Adults
The European chafer completes its life cycle in one year. The adult chafer beetles swarm in conspicuous mating flights on warm evenings in late June and early July. The beetles fly to tall objects, usually trees or other vertical structures to mate. The adult females then locate nearby lawns to lay their eggs in.
Eggs hatch in late July or early August and the larvae or grubs begin feeding on roots until the ground freezes. In colder climates, the larvae migrate down below the frost-line to overwinter.
From April to mid-May, the larvae migrate close to the soil surface and feed on turf roots. From mid-May to early June, the larvae stop feeding and pupate (undergo metamorphosis), and the adult beetles emerge two weeks later.
Source: Adapted from the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association
How do I know if I have European chafer grubs in my lawn?
 Turf Damage
In the Spring or Fall, turf that has been damaged by white grubs will lift away from the soil easily because the roots have been eaten and they no longer anchor the turf to the soil. Often, racoons and skunks will pull back the turf in search of a meal of grubs. This secondary damage is usually more extensive than that caused by the grubs.
Turf that has been severely damaged by birds or other animals may also be brown, wilted or tufted in appearance. Grubs will often be visible when the turf is pulled back. Damage is most severe in the fall and the spring when the grubs are increasing in size rapidly and feeding near the surface.
To confirm the presence of European chafer grubs in your lawn this spring or fall, do the following:
 Chafer Monitoring
- Use a garden shovel or spade to cut three sides of a 12-inch square.
- Grasp the open edges and peel back the turf like a carpet, towards the attached side.
- Look for the white, C-shaped grubs (larvae) or cocoons (pupae) in the soil, and just underneath the turf roots.
- Repeat Steps 1 to 3 in at least five different sections of lawn.
- If you count five or more white grubs per square foot, consider applying a (non-toxic) biological treatment in the summer.
- If you are unsure of what you have found, place a grub inside a jar or plastic bag, and take it down to your local specialty garden centre for identification.
Do adult European chafer beetles cause damage to turf?
No, when adult beetles emerge from lawns to mate, very little feeding takes place. Trees and other surrounding vegetation are also not affected by adult beetles. However, mating activity in the spring and summer may result in damage to nearby turf in the fall.
How does weather affect the European chafer?
Weather conditions can have an effect on turf health and vigour which indirectly affects grub damage. Grubs feeding in spring and fall do not cause visible damage as the temperatures are cooler and root growth by the turf grasses is more active than at other times.
In general, when there is sufficient rainfall or when turf is deeply irrigated, grub damage is reduced. Healthy, actively growing turf will have more roots and, hence, can withstand more grub feeding without loss. Conversely, lawns which are not vigorous and healthy will show turf damage quickly after only small amounts of grub feeding.
During periods of summer drought, grubs may remain deep in the soil where moisture is available. Once rainfall resumes, the grubs will migrate up to the soil-thatch interface to feed.
How do I prevent damage to my lawn from the European chafer?
Maintaining a healthy lawn is your first line of defense against grubs. Healthy, vigorous growing lawns can tolerate more grub feeding, because they generally have more extensive root systems.
- In the Spring, remove excess thatch and aerate compacted soils to ensure that water and air is reaching your lawn. Mechanized soil aerators or spiked aerator sandals (available from specialty garden supply stores) may be used to reduce lawn compaction.
- Apply a top-dressing of compost or topsoil mixed with grass seed. Use a mix of deep-rooting grasses, such as fescue and rye grass, which are more drought-tolerant and require less watering. Water the newly seeded area thoroughly.
- Water an established lawn deeply yet infrequently to encourage the growth of a deep-rooted, drought-tolerant lawn. Water no more than once per week until 2.5 cm or 1 inch collects in a container placed on your lawn. Rainfall can substitute the need for watering.
- Raise your mowing height to 6 to 8 cm or 2.5 to 3 inches, since beetles prefer laying eggs on closely cropped lawns. Higher grass blades will also help to protect the soil surface from water loss during the summer, and encourage deeper root growth.
- Adult beetles may be vacuumed, hand picked, or shaken from plants into a cloth placed below the plant in the morning when they are still sluggish. Collected beetles may be drowned in soapy water.
How do I manage the problem if I already have lawn damage?
- In areas where turf damage has occurred, either through grub feeding or secondary damage due to animals, clean up loose grass (as desired) and leave affected area until there is no more animal feeding.
- Dead turf can be incorporated into the soil to add nitrogen. Alternately, small amounts of turf, with soil removed, and can be bagged as green waste for pick-up in your weekly yard waste collection program. Do not dispose of topsoil. Top-soil should be left in place, since this nutrient-rich layer will help to re-establish a new lawn or groundcover in the area.
- In the Spring, break-down any remaining clumps of soil, and rake out the affected area until smooth. Apply a top-dressing of compost or topsoil mixed with grass seed (using deep-rooting fescue and perennial rye-grass seeds) over the area. Water the newly-seeded area thoroughly. Permits for watering newly-established lawns or groundcovers during the summer sprinkling restriction period may be purchased from the City of Burnaby, Engineering Department. Phone the City at 604.294.7460.
- Consider replacing your lawn with an alternative ground cover such as Dutch White Clover (Trifolium repens) that may prevent European chafer damage in the long-term. Click here - [PDF 4.1MB] to learn more about alternative ground covers and their various characteristics.
- In chafer infested areas, some residents have experimented with the use of Remay cloth, plastic sheeting, or landscape fabric to cover their lawns before dusk (approximately 9 pm) when the adult beetles are most active. A cover may help to prevent existing beetles from emerging out of a lawn, or prevent mated females from laying eggs onto a lawn and repeating the cycle.
- Visit your local gardening centre for other suggestions or advice on maintaining your lawn, or replacing it with alternative groundcovers.
How do I keep raccoons and other wildlife out of my yard?
Many residents have been observing damage to their lawns, resulting from birds, skunks and raccoons feeding on the grub stage of the European chafer.
If you have confirmed the European chafer on your property, you are encouraged to investigate the use of a (non-toxic) biological treatment against newly-hatching chafer grubs in the summer. Reducing the number of grubs in your lawn, may be one strategy to make your yard less attractive to wildlife.
Raccoon Deterrents
Raccoons are omnivorous (eat both plant and animal foods) and may raid garbage cans, eat pet foods, fish (from ornamental ponds or creeks), or may even roll-up turf in search of a meal of grubs.
- Keep smelly garbage in plastic bags indoors, or build a garbage shed. The lids on garbage cans should fit tightly. They can be secured with rubber straps and hooks, but these items should be removed before municipal employees collect the refuse. Putting a half cup of household ammonia in garbage bags may also help.
- Raccoons cause damage or nuisance problems around houses and outbuildings when they try to enter attics, crawl spaces or chimneys. To keep them out, cover possible access points with heavy wire screening. Also, tree access to rooftops should be eliminated by pruning overhanging limbs and by placing a piece of tin loosely around the trunk, flaring it out like an upside-down funnel.
- Do not put out food for raccoons or other wildlife, and never leave pet food where wildlife can get it. Keep pets indoors at night. Dogs are not an effective method of keeping raccoons away.
- Raccoons are excellent climbers and can climb conventional fences or bypass them by using overhanging limbs. A "hot" wire from an electric fence charger at the top of the fence will greatly increase its effectiveness. A one-wire to two-wire electric fence is best for large garden areas and lawns. [This approach is not recommended if there are children or pets in the vicinity.]
- Raccoons are classified as furbearers under the Wildlife Act, and may be trapped in season by registered trappers who have a valid trapping licence. The use of poison to kill any wildlife is illegal. Persons experiencing persistent or serious problems with raccoons should consider obtaining assistance from a professional pest control company to remove the animals. These companies are listed in the yellow pages of your telephone directory. (Source: BC Ministry of Environment)
General Wildlife Deterrents
- Install sensor lights, using one 100 watt bulb for every 15 square metres.
- Sprinkle pure soap flakes generously near the affected area and remember to water thoroughly. Other repellents such as Tabasco Sauce, cayenne pepper and even dirty cat litter can be used but anything put only on the surface of the lawn may be less effective. The animal may dig through the repellent and continue digging up your lawn.
- Consider using a scarecrow.
- Stake out an area of the lawn with string placed about 30 cm off the ground. Tie noisy objects or aluminum pie plates to the string so they hang and blow in the wind. Staking the string in a zigzag pattern may confuse the intruders. Keep this in place for spring and again in fall.
- Wind chimes or a radio tuned to a talk show can scare animals away.
- Try several methods at the same time. (Source: City of Toronto)
For additional advice on keeping wildlife out of your yard, please phone the BC Conservation Officer Service at: 1-800-663-9453 (toll-free) during regular business hours.
What treatment options are available for controlling the European Chafer?
 Tools required for nematode application Biological Treatments
A 2005 study commissioned by the Western Canada Turfgrass Association, the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, and several local municipalities, revealed that biological treatments could be very effective at controlling the European chafer population, when used in combination with healthy lawn care practices.
According to the study, the most effective biological control measure was the nematode (or roundworm) Heterorhabditis bacteriophora - a natively occurring species that has been used successfully in BC to control other pests. The H. bacteriophora nematode is a "cruiser" species that actively seeks out white grubs (such as the European chafer), and quickly destroys them from the inside-out.
Treatments are most effective if done in late July, after the European chafer eggs have hatched and when the young grubs are most vulnerable to nematode attack. Click here - [PDF 276KB] to read the full study.
Book your nematode treatment in the spring, by doing one of the following:
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Inquire at a specialty garden centre about ordering nematodes and applying them to your lawn in late July. “Nemasys G” is one of a few brand names to look for. Stratas may inquire about bulk purchase rates from wholesalers/distributors of these products; OR
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Find a lawn contractors in your area by searching in the phone directory under “Lawn Maintenance”. Receive one or more quotes for the application of H. bacteriophora nematodes to your lawn in July.
Chemical Treatments
Although chemical insecticides are available to control the European Chafer, the City of Burnaby’s Pesticide Use Control Bylaw prohibits the use of these products. The City supports the use of biological treatments when used in combination with healthy lawn care practices.
 Clover Groundcover What is the long-term solution?
In order to prevent European chafer damage in the long-term, many residents are now considering the use of alternative ground covers – particularly on sites that are sunny and well-draining, and prone to yearly infestations.
Groundcovers can be selected to be aesthetically pleasing year-round and to require minimal maintenance. They may also be incorporated with foot paths to increase their aesthetic value. Mulch or paving stones can also be considered in high traffic areas.
Trifolium repens (Dutch White Clover) is one example of a low-growing plant that will form a green, durable ground cover that is easy to maintain. It also produces tiny white or pale pink flowers that may attract bees and other beneficial insects to your yard.
For more alternatives to lawn, including shrubs, groundcovers and seeded plants, download the document Alternative Management of a Turf Pest for Urban Streetscape Planting - [PDF 4.1MB]
What are residents doing about the European chafer?
Many City of Burnaby residents have sought creative and long-term solutions for making their landscapes 'chafer-resistant'. In south Burnaby, several residents have established low-growing groundcovers (eg. clover) and wildflowers in some of the worst-affected areas of their lawn.
Some examples of made-in Burnaby solutions include:
Wildflower garden - house view
Wildflower garden - street view
Clover lawn - front yard
Clover lawn - back yard
What is the City doing about the European Chafer?
Since 2005, the City has treated public lands affected by the European chafer across the north, central and south Burnaby. Between 2005 and 2009, the City applied a biological treatment to the majority of these sites to combat future infestation by the European chafer. Some of the worst affected public lands were also raked, re-seeded and fertilized. At one location, soil was removed from the entire median area; soil was replaced at varying depths, and varying types of seed were spread. The site was monitored to examine whether soil depth and seed mix influenced growth and re-infestation of European chafer.
The City of Burnaby public lands that have been treated to date, include:
- Lake City Way median between Broadway Ave and Lougheed Highway
- Burnwood Drive median between Aubrey and Halifax streets
- Lougheed Highway boulevard between Boundary Road and Gilmore Ave
- Grandview Highway boulevard between Gilmore and Ingleton Aves
- Canada Way boulevard at Boundary Road
- Henning Drive median between Boundary Road and Gilmore Ave
- Wayburne Drive median between Canada Way and Deer Lake Parkway
- Edmonds Street medians
- Deer Lake Avenue city-maintained boulevard near Century Parkway and Deer Lake Parkway
- Burnaby City Hall parking lot medians
- Deer Lake Parkway boulevard between Gilpin and Royal Oak Ave
- Royal Oak boulevard between Dover Street and Deer Lake Parkway
- Oakmount Crescent median and adjacent city-maintained boulevards
- Oakland Street medians from Royal Oak Avenue to Denbigh Avenue
- Griffiths Drive medians from Rumble Street to 10th Avenue
The City will continue to monitor the health of these sites to evaluate the effectiveness of the nematode treatment. European chafer is here to stay, and it may be several years before an effective control strategy can be achieved.
To report European chafer grubs or beetles, please contact the City of Burnaby, Engineering Department at 604-294-7460.
Additional Links
Contact Us
City of Burnaby, Engineering Department
Telephone: 604.294.7460
Fax: 604.294.7425
E-mail: engineering@burnaby.ca
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