---
title: "Grass Grub Control After the Chlorpyrifos Ban: Is It Time to Try Vermicast?"
description: Chlorpyrifos is being banned - explore how biologicals like MyNoke vermicast can help to suppress grass grub and build healthier, more resilient soils.
---

[Soil Health, Worm Farming & Organic Waste Management News | MyNoke Blog ](https://www.mynoke.co.nz/blog)

# [Grass Grub Control After the Chlorpyrifos Ban: Is It Time to Try Vermicast?](https://www.mynoke.co.nz/blog/grass-grub-control-after-the-chlorpyrifos-ban-is-it-time-to-try-vermicast)

 Written by [MyNoke](https://www.mynoke.co.nz/blog/author/mynoke) | Jul 29, 2025 2:25:47 AM

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has [confirmed](https://www.epa.govt.nz/news-and-alerts/latest-news/epa-bans-crop-insecticide-after-reassessment/#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20our%20international%20trade%20partners,ingredient%20to%20control%20grass%20grub) that chlorpyrifos - a widely used insecticide for controlling grass grub - will be banned in New Zealand from July 2025, with an 18-month phase-out for pasture use. With other options like diazinon also on the way out by 2028, New Zealand farmers are facing a narrowing field of synthetic tools to tackle one of the country’s most persistent pasture pests: grass grub.

This shift is pushing the industry to explore biological alternatives - not just for compliance, but to build more resilient, productive soils.

One viable alternative is vermicast - the nutrient- and microbe-rich byproduct of earthworm digestion. At MyNoke, our customers have seen firsthand how a single application of high-quality vermicast can eliminate grass grub pressure in some pasture systems. 

Vermicast is teeming with beneficial bacteria, fungi, and enzymes. It often contains:

- **Bacillus species**, which produce natural insecticidal compounds
- **Entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes**, which actively target soil-dwelling pests
- Microbial communities that stimulate plant health and root zone resilience

In this [interview](https://youtu.be/F8azs5ydJFI?si=-3gbED8tNOJsrf1H) with Ged Goode - one of our a long-time vermicast customers - he explains how incorporating vermicast into his farming system eradicated grass grub in paddocks where the pest was previously a recurring problem. The outcome wasn’t the result of repeated applications or supplementary treatments - it was a clear shift following a single, well-timed dose.

While other biological products can also play an important role, their success often depends on tight application windows and supporting soil conditions. Vermicast, by contrast, is biologically complete - bringing both microbial agents and the organic matter needed to sustain them. It works in variable conditions, and its benefits extend beyond pest control, including:

- Improved soil structure and moisture retention
- Better root development and pasture establishment
- A more resilient, self-regulating soil ecosystem

As synthetic pesticides disappear from the landscape, vermicast offers a** **natural and practical tool for controlling grass grub and restoring soil function.

[Get in touch](https://www.mynoke.co.nz/contact) if you would like to try MyNoke vermicast as part of your pasture renovation or pest management strategy. Whether your goal is to eliminate grass grub or build longer-term soil resilience, now is the time to take action - before the chlorpyrifos ban takes full effect.

Image: Grass Grub Beetle (*Costelytra zealandica*) © Brett Sandford

 

[View full post](https://www.mynoke.co.nz/blog/grass-grub-control-after-the-chlorpyrifos-ban-is-it-time-to-try-vermicast)

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