Prevention From Future Attacks
While products like Grub Killa will kill grubs that are currently in your lawn, there is no residual effect so there is no ongoing protection.
You can prevent lawn grubs attacking by using a product called Acelepryn GR. Acelepryn GR gives unmatched season-long grub control against a wide range of insect pests including African Black Beetle, Argentinian Scarab, Billbugs and several species of caterpillars including Cutworm, Sod Webworm and Lawn Armyworms.
How I Noticed Signs Of Grubs In The Lawn
It was an early October morning, and I was up early just after sunrise. I opened the back door to let the dog outside and was shocked at what I saw.
The grass was all torn up. Kind of like a “grass massacre” . I shook my head and looked again wondering what happened overnight. My first guess was that a deer got into the yard and dug up the lawn. That’s what it looked like. But it didn’t make sense because the yard is entirely fenced in.
My next thought was some other kind of animal, yet why? I mean this mess was pretty bad.
How To Get Rid Of Grubs Naturally
If you decide to treat your garden beds or lawn for grubs, it is best to introduce the treatment to the soil in mid- to late-summer or early fall. During this time, the grubs will be newly hatched and will be near the surface and beginning to feed. During the winter, they burrow deeper into the soil, and during the spring they are in the pupal stage, and then move into the imago stage, which means most treatments will be far less effective.
Many beetles return to the same area to lay eggs each year so, if you have a large population, it may take a few years to get it under control through treatment.
It is often best to try natural treatments before moving up to pesticides that may introduce toxins into the groundwater or affect the health of your family, your pets, bees, or other local wildlife. So, lets look at some home remedies for grubs and natural ways to get rid of grubs.
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Signs Of A Lawn Grubs
Patchy lawns with brown or bare patches are the tell-tale signs of a lawn grub infestation. Other signs to keep an eye out for include white moths flying around as the sun goes down, white egg sacs on your house as well as an increase in lawn grub predators such as birds or orange/black wasps.
Preferring a healthy lawn, lawn grubs are far more likely to attack a well-maintained lawn. This goes double for all forms of couch grass as they are more prone to infestation. While Sir Walter DNA Certified is more resilient to these pests and usually recovers quicker it is still susceptible to attack.
Apply Neem Oil Homemade Grubworm Killer
Neem oil has insecticidal properties and is effective in repelling grub worms in lawns and gardens. This natural pesticide deters grubs from feeding, laying eggs, and growing into adults, thus breaking their cycle and helping in their control and stopping lawn damage.
To use neem oil recipe to get rid of grubs naturally, mix neem oil with water and spray it on a grub-infested lawn using a hose-end sprayer. Apply generously over the areas with dead patches of grass to make sure you target the larvae.
Another common homemade recipe for getting rid of grubs naturally is dawn dish soap. While it is not 100% effective at controlling grubs, it can help control mild infestations in your lawn.
To get rid of grubs naturally using dish soap, mix dawn soap with water and spray it over the infested area. The dish soaps solutions smothers and suffocates grub worms and Japanese beetles, killing them in the process. This DIY solution can also kill adult beetles and prevent them from laying eggs in your lawn.
According to the Clemson University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, Insecticidal soaps kill by suffocation, they appear to disrupt the cellular membranes of the insect, and they remove protective waxes that cover the insect, resulting in dehydration.
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Nematodes For Lawn Grub Control
Beneficial nematodes can be introduced into the affected lawns to control Grubs. These nematodes work efficiently.
The nematodes munch on the larval forms thus they also prevent future infestation to an extent. Ive tried this method of control and I can say it works.
You can buy such nematodes on amazon.
Replace Your Lawn With Artificial Grass
Artificial grass is not a natural product, but it is worth adding to this list because it is an effective option that requires no toxic pesticides or repeated treatments. Replacing your natural grass lawn with synthetic turf is a sure way to keep a grub population from taking hold in your lawn and destroying it. Plus, you can enjoy a lush, green lawn throughout the year that looks, feels and functions like natural grass without grub problems or the mowing, watering, weeding, aerating, edging, fertilizing and other tasks that are required to maintain a healthy, natural lawn.
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Use Birds And Insects
Invite birds and insects that eat grubs to your garden or lawn. Some good examples are wrens, sparrows, and wasps such as the tiphiid wasps, Chalcid wasps, and Ichneumon wasps, among others.
To create a conducive atmosphere for birds, build birdhouses, and keep bird baths and create some lush foliage where they can hang out. They will not only eat all larvae from your lawn and garden, but they will also get at other bugs such as hornworms. As a bonus, birds also create a vibrant atmosphere in your garden.
To attract wasps, plant herbs, plants, and flowers that they love. Some good examples are Sweet Fennel and Spearmint. Wasps will also eliminate other pests such as aphids. You can also introduce the wasps yourself by purchasing them from a breeder.
How To Identify Them
So how do you know you have grubs? Your first signs are likely going to be problems with your grass and other plants. Odd patches of grass will start to die off and turn brown, without any apparent cause. If you do have a grub problem, the damaged grass should pull up easily since the grubs have been eating away the roots underneath.
Once you can see the dirt, you should have a clear view of any grubs. They dont burrow too deeply Depending on the specific species , theyll be an inch or so in length, cream-colored with a dark brown head, and usually curl up in a C shape when the sod is pulled off.
Another tip-off that you have a grub problem is the increased activity around your yard from raccoons, skunks or birds. These animals love to eat grubs, and will come in droves for the easy snacks. So finding patches of sod all torn up and dug through can mean you have grubs, even if theyre not the ones who directly did the damage.
For more specific species identification, it gets a little tougher. Well discuss the different kinds of grubs in the next section.
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How To Get Rid Of Grub Worms In Yard 2021
How To Get Rid Of Grub Worms In Yard. A healthy lawn is the best defense against grub worms and beetles. A naturally occurring pathogen, milky spore disease , affects beetle larvae and will kill grubs without harming you or your garden, but it can take one to three years to become fully effective.
A shallowly irrigated lawn is the best place for grub worms to. Add one quart of warm water and one tablespoon of liquid soap.
How To Get Rid Of Grubs With Chemicals
Although chemicals get the work done faster than natural methods, they can cause some damage to other things in your lawn.
However, if you face a serious grub problem and are short on time, chemicals are the best way to go.
Since we have established that pesticides can harm your lawn, they should only be used if you have a lot of grubs on them.
If the grubs are few, then any of the natural methods listed after this section would suffice. Pesticides are best suited for a grub infestation as they kill these pests almost immediately.
They majorly come in two forms:
- Liquid and
The method of application will depend on what form your pesticide comes in.
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Top Recommended Company For Grub Control
TruGreen offers extensive Grub Prevention & Control Services. A specialist will use a pre-emptive application to eliminate white grubs before they can do too much damage. The specialist will start by monitoring the lawn for adult beetle activity, then apply insect control just before the hatching season. The product will get absorbed by the soil and stay in the root system to eradicate grubs that hatch.
How Do You Get Rid Of Grubs When You Have Dogs
4.6/5kill grubs
Also, will grub killer hurt my dog?
Lawns provide the ideal environment for various insects such as fleas, ticks, beetles and grubs. Unfortunately, the insecticides used to control these pests pose a hazard to your dog. Yards treated with these products can poison your four-legged friend if he ingests, inhales or comes in contact with the chemical.
Also, can my dog get sick from eating grubs? Grub Worms and DogsIf you notice your dog is eating grub worms in your garden or the dirt containing them, keep him away from these areas. Grubs aren’t toxic to eat and can, in fact, be eaten safely by people and animals, but only if they’re from sterilized soil.
Regarding this, how do you get rid of grubs without harming pets?
Answer 1: Earth-friendly beneficial nematodes seek out and kill grubs and other soil-inhabiting insects. They come on a sponge that you soak in water, put in a sprayer and spray your dirt or lawn. They will multiply over time and continue to kill grubs.
How long after lawn treatment is it safe for pets?
Keep your pooch away from treated lawns. When you treat your lawn with chemicals, keep your pets and children away from the garden for about two days or until it has been completely absorbed. Always wash the pet’s lower body , assuming it came in contact with the treated grass.
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How To Kill Grubs In Your Lawn
During the late summer and early fall, you may begin to notice lawns turning an unattractive shade of brown in certain unsightly, dying patches. The likely explanation is the grass is being destroyed by hungry, thriving grub worms living below the surface of the lawn. If this has happened in your lawn, there is good news. These pests can be controlled, and your lawn can be restored back to its healthy state by getting rid of grub worms.
Better yet, because of a growing preference for natural gardening solutions, there are now some easy and natural ways to kill lawn grubs and stop them from reappearing next year. This means youll be able to get back to enjoying your yard year-round without concern of nasty grubs eating away at it.
What Do Lawn Grubs Look Like
It can be hard to identify lawn grubs since they look like other insects, especially in their developmental stages. So, to be sure you have a grub infestation on your lawn, its best to know what grubs look like first.
Firstly, the word grub is a collective name for a group of thick larvae. Lawn grubs look like worms, only that they have a whitish moist body and a brown head. They feed mainly on plant roots.
Looking at them, you can count six legs in front of their body. Most times, their bodies glisten when exposed to light, and they look like overgrown maggots.
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How To Get Rid Of Grubs In Your Lawn Or Garden: Additional Resources
If getting rid of grubs naturally is not working or you simply want to start with stronger pesticides, it is important to understand the potential effects on groundwater, bees, other wildlife, your pets and your family.
To better understand how the use of grub control products can affect bees and other pollinators, we recommend reading Grub Control in Lawns: Neonicotinoids and Bees published by the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment at University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
For best practices in effectively using pesticides that target grubs, we recommend reading How to Choose and When to Apply Grub Control Products to Your Lawn published by Michigan State University Extension. This article also includes a section on protecting bees and other pollinators when using potentially harmful pesticides.
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Will Grass Grow Back After Grub Damage
The grubs eat the roots of your grass which then hinders the absorption of nutrients.
In the worst-case scenario, your grass will be so badly eaten up that it can actually be peeled up easily, in this situation it is best to reseed the area once youve solved the grub issue and wait for new healthy grass to sprout.
However, if caught early the roots may still be salvageable and will require some root building fertilizer and proper watering.
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What Do Sod Webworms Look Like
Sod Webworms are only in the larvae stage for six to ten weeks, and during this time they are small and appear as any other larvae would. The larvae of the sod webworm are gray to tan with small black spots on the body and brown heads. When fully grown, they reach approximately three-quarters to one inch in length.
What Do Weevils And Billbugs Look Like
Although they can vary slightly in appearance, and there are approximately 97,000 different species of Weevils out there and 11 different species of Billbugs alone, you should be able to recognize these beetles and classify them as Weevils.
Firstly, they have an elongated snout for a mouth, like an elephant or an anteater, instead of the normal pincer-like structures that many ants or other beetles have. Weevils also have 6 legs and 2 antennae, and other than their snout look like normal beetles.
These insects are no longer than 6 millimeters usually theyre very small. The majority of Weevils and Billbugs have wings and the ability to fly.
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Kill Lawn Grubs In Spring
It is the ideal time to measure white grubs presence and their number of population-level in your lawn in the spring season. Spring comes after winter . As the weather in the winter season is cold, so the grubs stay deeper under the soil. On the other hand, when spring comes, the weather starts to grow warm. The grubs come out to the surface of the lawn in spring. There are many strong reasons to kill lawn grass in winter. However, today, we will start to explain Kill Lawn Grubs in Spring.Learn to care for your lawn in spring.
How Can I Control Grubs While Protecting Bees And Other Pollinators
Before applying any insecticides, the lawn should be mowed prior to application so there arent weeds flowering in the lawn while the product is being applied.
Also be conscious of drift. If its windy and you spray an area of your lawn, theres a chance the product could drift onto flowering plants nearby. Likewise, if youre using a spreader for a granular product, ensure you limit your application to lawn areas that have been mowed and do have a grub infestation.
Theres little reason to apply any of these products to your entire lawn if only a section of the lawn has a grub infestation. Only use chemicals to control grubs if necessary, and always follow all instructions on the label.
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Are Lawn Grubs Active In Winter
No. The beetles that lay the eggs that hatch into grubs lay dormant during the winter and many insects dont actually survive the full winter season due to the uninhabitable temperatures.
If the beetles are dormant in the winter, they then have no chance of laying the eggs, therefore new grubs cant survive winter.
Unfortunately, grubs still have the ability to survive the winter, they just dont make significant damage to the grass.
Water Irregularly But Deeply
High soil moisture during the summer can attract adult beetles to a lawn to lay their eggs. You cant do much about rainfall patterns, but you can avoid overwatering your lawn. Instead of watering by a set schedule, check the dampness of your soil and only irrigate when its dry. Then, water to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, which will encourage grass roots to grow deeper and stronger in search of water.
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How To Get Rid Of Grubs With Liquid Pesticides
When shopping for a liquid pesticide, go for a pesticide that contains trichlorfon and/or carbaryl.
A good grub killer kills promptly. An example of one is Trichlorfon, an effective grub killer.
Having said that, here are 4 quick steps to apply liquid pesticides:
1. Before you start spraying, wet your lawn with some water. This enables the pesticide to infiltrate the soil better, leading to better grub control.
2. When the soil is about half an inch wet, use a backpack sprayer to spray only the affected areas.
3. Avoid areas that have little or no grub population. A grub killer can kill other useful organisms.
4. Depending on how infested your lawn is, you might need to reapply the treatment at intervals till you get the desired result.
