New Member And Have New Chicks But Also Have Lawn Grubs To Spray

[paula'schicks]

Hi I am new to this whole chicken thing, but have in the last week got myself 5 chicks which I adore. However, at the moment I have black beetle and white lawn grubs (not visible) killing huge patches of buffolo turf. I need to spray with something to kill the grubs, but am concerned about my chick's welfare. Does anyone have any advice on how long I should leave them in their cage and not free range on the sprayed turf. Many thanks for help.

 

[al6517]

 

[gvntofly05]

What kind of pesticide are you planning to use (what chemical)?

 

[fiberart57]

If your chicks are still in the brooder and may be there for a while you can check the MSDS, or safety listing, of the pesticide you are planning to use to see how long it's expected to last in the soil. Remember also, that those residual times are approximate and may be heavily dependent upon the type of lawn, precipitation, soil composition, etc.

Some have residuals that last in the ground for a while, and some poison the bugs and if the chicks eat them they will get sick, or possibly die.

If your chicks are old enough to free range in the correct area, then you might not have to worry about pesticides because they're likely to eat the grubs as soon as they come out of the ground.

Mary

 

[ranchhand]

I might be wrong, so forgive me if I am.

But I think you can get beneficial nematodes, who will kill the grubs and not harm the chickens. I used to work in a garden center and we sold them. They are living organisms that kill the grubs. Most people got them to stop moles from digging up the yard, because the moles feed on the grubs - get rid of the grubs and the moles go away.

 

[luvzmychickens]

once your chicks are around 2-3 weeks old you can let them play out and they will happily eat the bugs for you, if you let them free range once thier older you should be able to stop buying spray, cause they will eat ALL of the bugs for you.

 

[edselpdx]

Quote:
And your grass!

 

[plantguy90]

What a shame. I dont have a lawn, buty do have those white grubs everywhere near plants. I really enjoy digging them out to feed my hens, they go crazy over them, if they see me pick up the little red shovel, well, they wont stop the commotion until they get the grubs.