If you find maggots when loosening the potting soil, they are usually the grubs of the May beetle, the June beetle or the rose beetle. All of these beetles have become rare, so they should be carefully removed from the potting soil.
How do I get rid of maggots in potting soil?
Maggots in potting soil are usually grubs of beetles such as May beetles, June beetles or rose beetles. To get rid of them, you can loosen the soil and collect the maggots, attract natural predators, cultivate deterrent plants, use nematodes or, for potted plants, completely immerse the pot in water.
The different grubs
Grubs of various animals can settle in the potting soil, e.g. B.
- Cockchafer
- June beetle
- rose beetle
- Rhino Beetle
- Garden leaf beetle
While the larvae of the rose and rhinoceros beetles feed on dead plant parts (hence beneficial insects), the grubs of the May and June beetles feed on living plants and are therefore considered pests. However, since both beetles are partly threatened with extinction, no chemical agents should be used to combat them. Chemicals usually also kill other animals that are useful in the garden.
Collect grubs
If the soil is loosened well and deeply, the larvae come up and can be collected. Heavy watering or a heavy downpour also brings the grubs to light for collection.
Attracting natural predators
The thick white maggots or grubs are treats for birds, hedgehogs, mice, etc. Therefore, if you offer ideal conditions for birds and hedgehogs, leave the mousetrap in the drawer for a while.
cultivating deterrent plants
Various plants act like a natural barrier for the grubs.
- Place garlic between other plants, smell and taste are a deterrent
- Dark spur, its roots are eaten but are deadly for the grubs
- Geranium, roots are also eaten, but are also poisonous
Nematodes
Nematodes, very small roundworms, are applied with the irrigation water. They penetrate the maggots and eat them.
Grubs in a flower pot
Here it helps to completely immerse the pot in the water. After an hour at the latest, the grubs will come out and can be collected. If you want, you can also repot the plant completely. However, the soil must be removed from the plant as much as possible. To ensure that there are no pests in the new soil, it can be sterilized at 100 degrees in the oven or microwave.