Look who I found in my compost bin:

From my Googling around, I’m pretty sure that this delectable looking creature is a grub. Grub worms are beetle larvae, and there are over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. I’ve heard that grubs are murder when it comes to turf lawns, but what I’m not entirely sure about is whether grubs are beneficial to my slow compost pile. Some people say that grubs are excellent converters of organic material into humus; Others complain that grubs are a nuisance in the garden and should be picked out of the compost.

My bin is teeming with red wigglers, which are a huge help:

Red wiggler worms can consume their body weight in organic material every day, and their castings are rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

But what about the grubs? How can I tell if this particular grub is a composting friend or foe? Do you leave grubs in your compost, or pick them out and feed them to the birds?