Looking to fight grubs in your yard? Plant a peony, UConn entomologist says

Before peonies bloom in spring their unopened flower buds produce a nectar that feeds a tiny wasp called a Spring Tiphia .

These shiny, black, solitary wasps are about half an inch long and are harmless to humans, but deadly to grass-killing Japanese beetle larvae, commonly called grubs.

After feeding on nectar in May and early June and then mating, the female wasp burrows into the ground in search of grubs to lay her eggs on.

“It’s kind of like the movie ‘Alien,’” said University of Connecticut entomologist Ana Legrand. “It looks for the grub and it will use it for providing sustenance to its offspring. "

Provided / Ana Legrand

A wasp larva will hatch from the egg and kill the grub as it feeds on it.

The Spring Tiphia, originally from Korea, was released in Connecticut betwe