White grubs probably cause more injury to grass and turf than any other soil-infesting insect. The larvae live in the soil and feed on the roots of plants. This feeding can sever or girdle roots and cause plant injury or death. The principal injury to plants comes from root damage. When adult May or June beetles feed on foliage, it causes minor injury particularly to both deciduous and coniferous ornamentals and shade trees.
Most grub damage comes the year following heavy beetle flights.
Such conditions also accentuate the damage caused by white grub feeding. Moles, skunks, and starlings help to control white grubs in local areas. The bacterial milky disease which kills Japanese beetle grubs apparently does not control these white grubs. Avoid planting susceptible crops like corn, potatoes, and strawberries in recently plowed sod land. Summer or fall plowing or spading kills some larvae or pupae or exposes them to the birds.