Book 24, Question 30
What are grubs, and what do they become?
A grub is a young beetle that looks like a fat, curved, creamy-white worm with a brown head and six small legs. Grubs live in the soil and munch on roots and decaying plants. After growing for months or even years, a grub forms a case and changes into an adult beetle, such as a June bug. Then it digs out and flies away.
More fun facts
- May and June beetle grubs have cream-colored bodies, a reddish-brown head, and three pairs of legs.
- They can grow up to 1ΒΌ inches long and chew on plant roots with strong mouthparts called mandibles.
- May and June beetle grubs spend about two years in the soil, growing through three stages called instars.
- The grown-up beetles fly after dark in late May and early June and are drawn to lights, sometimes bumping into window screens.
- When the soil cools in fall, Japanese beetle grubs dig deeper to spend the winter.
- In spring, the grubs move back up near the surface, finish eating, and then change into adult beetles.
Questions kids ask
How can you tell if grubs are under a lawn?
Grass with grubs eating its roots pulls up easily from the soil, like a loose carpet.