Carlton County Extension Connection

Here in Northeast Minnesota we have been fortunate enough to receive some rainfall over the last few weeks. As temperatures begin to rise and with the addition of some moisture, we have begun to see greening of grasses. As things begin to change color, there have been some very noticeable remaining yellow/brown patches in grass stands in lawns, pastures, and hay fields alike. The predominant species that are being affected are timothy grass and brome grass stands. We are finding that the culprit is May or June beetle populations.

The damage coming from these beetles is not caused by the adult stage, but instead the immature or larval stage, commonly referred to as white grubs. The name white grub sometimes gets used as an umbrella term to describe different grub species, but several species that we refer to as May or June beetles are the true white grubs causing issues in our neck of the woods.

These true white grubs have a three-year life cycle. Adult females lay eggs in mid- to late summer of what is considered year one. That same year, grubs hatch from eggs and start feeding on existing roots. During this first year, the feeding injury is not observable. The grubs then overwinter in the soil. The grubs will continue to grow over the next two years passing through different stages called instars. Slight crop injury may be observed in the second year of a grub’s life. Once the grubs reach the spring of their third year, they are at their largest, therefore consuming the largest amount of plant roots leading to the greatest amount of damage. This is when feeding injury is particularly noticeable, which is what we seem to be experiencing this year. The grubs will pupate in this third year and then emerge as adults in the middle of the summer the following year. If infestations are severe enough, you can easily peel back sod in mats as if you were cutting up sod, due to loss of that root material.

Though we notice the damage most evidently when the grubs are in the third year, the damage is fairly well done by then. Try to resist the reaction that because you see damage, you have to treat right now to prevent more damage. In turfgrasses, you will want to determine thresholds, and for pastures, there are no labeled insecticides.

When it comes to determining if white grubs are the culprit to your losses, identification will be the first step. The large white grubs that you would find by digging down in the dirt are easily identifiable by their large size, white color, and by seeing brown hairs on the rear end in a distinct pattern of two straight lines that is almost zipper-like. The ones nearest to the surface in the soil, will be the instars in the third year of the life cycle. These “year threes” can be as long as 1.5 inches. As you dig down further into the soil profile you will often find smaller ones that are younger. Typically, year two instars will reside around 2-3 inches deep, and the first years are the deepest at 3-5 inches deep.

If your concern is in turfgrass, the next step is determining the threshold of the grubs to determine if treatment is warranted. It is important to note that you need to be going off of the number of young first year grubs to determine the threshold, therefore requiring digging down deeper. The large grubs near the surface are not only nearing the end of their life stage that causes damage, but they are also going to be difficult to kill at this stage. Remember that if you are seeing damaged grass, that does not mean an insecticide will help this year. If control is warranted, it is to prevent damage in the following year. The threshold to watch for in turfgrass is 3-5 grubs per square foot. While it is important to assess whether treatment is actually necessary, it is also worth considering if that is the best course of action. You may also consider making some light renovations to your lawn or overseeding in some grass seed to help with overall vigor of your turfgrass.

If you see white grubs in your pastures or hay fields, you might consider spending money towards stand renovations because no insecticides are labeled for use within either of these forage stands. Remember that stands that have been damaged have all been grass species. Some grasses may fill in and recover some, and you may want to reseed some heavily infested areas. Focusing on inter-seeding different grass species would be the recommended mode of renovation. It is also important to fertilize the existing stand. It may be a good idea to avoid some grass species on which you see the most feeding and try other grasses. Use grass species that are either native or are known for doing well in our area. Consider adding in a legume, clover as an example. This may help with overall stand viability because we are seeing the grass stands being targeted. The question has also been asked if you can plow your hay field or pasture and start over. Yes, but again aiming to plant in different species or a mixture of species would be recommended.

The next question is: “why are we noticing so much damage from white grubs this year compared to years past?” We have had about three years of drought conditions and just had a very dry summer followed by an abnormally warm, dry winter. Our perennial grass stands have endured large amounts of stress, possibly making feeding from white grubs more apparent. Otherwise, healthy grass should be able to tolerate white grub feeding. At this point, it may be best to focus on your long-term goals for stand health, including re-seeding and promoting overall stand vitality.

By: Mercedes Moffett, Carlton County Extension Educator

Claire LaCanne, Extension Crops Educator

Anthony Hanson, Extension Integrated Pest Management Educator.

Resources:

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/mayjune-beetles/

https://bugguide.net/node/view/3477

http://cues.cfans.umn.edu/old/Web/245MayJuneBeetles.pdf

https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2015/06/true-white-grub-identification-and-management

https://extension.sdstate.edu/2019-june-beetle-update

Join the Carlton County Master Gardeners for their annual plant sale. Lots of perennials, vegetable starts, bulbs etc. will be available for $2, $3, and $5, as well as a gardening white elephant table. Your local experts will be available to answer all of your gardening questions.

Saturday, June 1st, 2024, 9 am until sell out

Veteran's Park Pavilion, 508 Cloquet Ave., Cloquet

On May 6th over 200 red pine trees were planted at the Mary Carlson residence in Wrenshall. The event was coordinated by the Carlton County Extension Office with the Carlton County Land Dept. providing the trees and equipment. A great time was had by all!

The Lake and Pines Community Action Council has once again provided free vegetable seeds to Carlton County households. Seeds are still available at the Extension Office until they run out. Please contact the office for availability. Happy planting!

Join the Carlton County Master Gardeners on Tuesday, July 16th from 4-7 pm for their annual garden tour. This year the tour will be in the Cloquet area. The event highlights 5-6 area gardens with a wide variety of plants and features. Watch here for more details.

Come learn tips and tricks about growing peonies in Northern Minnesota. Kavanaugh Peonies has ties to world renowned peony breeder Don Hollingsworth. Kavanaugh Peonies has many different varieties and even unreleased Hollingworth varieties on display! Come tour the gardens and receive a beautiful bouquet.

Where: 1926 East Chub Lake Road Carlton, MN 55718

When: June 24th 5pm with rain date 25th or June 26th 9am with rain date 27th

$20 cash or check at the door, participants leave with a bouquet

Preregistration is required. Please call Mandi at 218-384-8680 to reserve your spot. Limit of 25 participants per tour.

Horse owners from across the state are invited to attend an equine focused pasture walk. Do you need to re-seed forage species or manage pasture weeds? The University of Minnesota Extension Educators in Northeastern Minnesota are happy to announce an evening pasture walk with hands-on learning at a local horse farm in Saginaw, Minnesota.

Topics include: managing weeds in horse pastures, taking a soil test, understanding soil health related to grazing, managing your forage species through stand assessment by analyzing forages and species selection, discussion on weed management and toxic weeds to watch for, and ensuring your horses are getting the most out of your grazing plan by discussing pasture longevity, timing, rest periods, and the beneficial use of a sacrificial area.

This workshop is intended for all horse owners who use pasture for grazing or anyone hoping to learn about managing pastures for horses. Come learn and leave with knowledge about the best management practices and how to grow and maintain pasture forages in Northeast Minnesota.

When: June 17th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. In the case of rain, the pasture walk will be rescheduled to June 27th.

Where: Saginaw, MN (Address provided upon registration). Registration deadline June 16th.

Cost: $15

Pre registration is required. Please register at z.umn.edu/pasturewalk24.

For more information on the Horse Pasture Walk visit the University of Minnesota Extension website: https://extension.umn.edu

After a pause for Covid, the Laveau Grandview Dairy in Wrenshall, Carlton County, is renewing its annual welcome to anyone interested in seeing how a small dairy farm works. The event is free, including breakfast (pancakes, sausage, milk, and coffee); donations will be accepted. There is parking on site, with a tractor-pulled carriage for your convenience. The Carlton County Dairy Association, The Minnesota Farmers Union, and the Wrenshall Community Development Corporation are sponsoring the event in order to promote the robust agrarian commercial activity that highlights the Wrenshall area.

Address: Laveau Grandview Dairy 508 Cemetery Rd., Wrenshall, MN 55797

Time: 8am-12pm

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive forest pest that destroys ash trees, has been detected within the Fond du Lac Reservation.

The Fond du Lac Resource Management Department confirmed the presence of EAB on Monday.

Officials say the detection occurred on the north side of Houle Road on the eastern edge of the Reservation.

Although the infestation is currently small, with only a few individual trees showing signs of infestation, there are likely more affected trees in the area that haven’t been detected yet.

The Fond du Lac Resource Management Department says they will take immediate action to slow the spread of EAB.

Officials will continue surveillance and implement other management strategies including fall sanitation of confirmed infested trees, continued surveillance, planting of replacement trees, and potential use of insecticides and biocontrol methods, pending approval.

They add that it is important to not cut infested ash during the flight season of the beetles to prevent further spread. The flight season runs from May 1 to Oct. 31.

Community members are encouraged to take the following precautions to prevent the spread of EAB:

• Do not transport firewood: Avoid moving firewood from one location to another, as this can spread EAB and other invasive pests.
• Report signs of infestation: If you notice signs of EAB infestation, including D-shaped exit holes in ash trees, serpentine-shaped tunnels under the bark, or dieback of the canopy, report it to the Fond du Lac Resource Management Department immediately.
• Follow quarantine regulations: Adhere to quarantine boundaries and regulations to prevent the unintentional spread of EAB to new areas.
• Support ash tree management: Participate in efforts to manage ash trees on your property, such as sanitation of infested trees and planting of replacement species.

For more information about EAB in Minnesota, click here.

You can find updates and information about EAB on the Fond du Lac Reservation here.

Article by Northern News Now

Support your local farmers and stop in at the Carlton County Farmer's Market on Saturday, June 1st from 9 a.m. until noon. Location 904 Hwy 33 S, Cloquet (Premiere Theaters parking lot) Over 40 vendors to choose from! Market bucks are a 2 to 1 match with SNAP benefits.

Carlton County is searching for applications for the 2024 Outstanding Senior Citizen Awards. This is an award honoring citizens within the county that go above and beyond to help others and organizations within the community. Applications are open, due on July 12th.

We are excited to announce that the Minnesota GreenCorps member application for the 2024-2025 program year is officially open! Please help us spread the word about the member opportunity through your various networks.

Interested applicants should go to www.pca.state.mn.us/mngreencorps to learn more about the program and apply online. The application guidance and project summaries documents are available on our website along with a link to the member application. Please direct applicant questions to mngreencorps.pca@state.mn.us.

Did you know? The Carlton County 4-H Federation has an ongoing fundraiser selling Carlton County plat books?! Currently we have plat books for the 2021 year which can be purchased at the Extension office at a reduced price of $25 instead of the regular price of $40. (cash or checks only, please). 2025 plat books will be available this fall.

The office will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th in observation of Juneteenth.

4-H is an out- of-school, hands-on learning program for anyone in Kindergarten through one year past high school (grade 13). You choose a project that's interesting to them and explore it with peers and caring adults. 4-H clubs are groups of youth who want to learn together and meet in every part of Minnesota.

What can I do in 4-H?

The sky's the limit! 4-H offers learning experiences in science, photography, agriculture, healthy living, civic engagement and much more. We have one-day events, year-long projects and everything in between. There are many ways to try 4-H.

For assistance with registration or printing of information please contact the Extension Office at

218-384-3511. A computer is also available for public use.

Keri Cavitt, Regional Director cavit005@umn.edu

Mandi Haglund, Principal Office & Admin. Specialist, haglu119@umn.edu

Mercedes Moffett, Agriculture Educator, moffett029@umn.edu

Ann Rust ,Vol. Coord. & Horticulture Asst., rustx048@umn.edu

Katie Siltanen, 4-H Educator, silta006@umn.edu

317 Chestnut Ave

P.O. Box 307 Carlton, MN 55718

218-384-3511

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