Apply Grub Control Pesticide
Grub control insecticides that contain bifenthrin, imidacloprid, or carbaryl are very effective at killing grubs in an already established lawn. Insecticides containing these active ingredients such as GrubEx, Merit, and Sevin are mostly systemic and kill when they come in contact with the grub worms.
There are liquid grub killers and granular grub killers on the market. Therefore, to get rid of grubs in your lawn, do the following:
- For granular pesticides, apply using the regular garden spreader and water the treatment into the soil to kill the grubs.
- For liquid grub killers, mix with water according to the label and spray the infested areas thoroughly to ensure the pesticide goes deep into the soil.
It is important to choose the best, most effective grub killer for this purpose. Scotts GrubEx is one of the industrys most trusted grubworm destroyers.
Affiliate links and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on: 2021-07-29
Timing is key
When using a pesticide to control grubs, you have two options: a grub preventer, or a grub killer.
Grub killers act almost immediately, meaning you need to apply them as soon as you see lawn damage from grub worm activity. But for grub preventers, they have a lasting effect and mostly prevent grubs from the next season.
As such, make sure you apply grub control at the right time as per this guide and the label of the insecticide youre using.
Why Are Grubs Bad
A large grub population can decimate a vegetable garden, flower bed or natural grass lawn, but most serious grub issues that homeowners deal with have to do with their lawns. While a small population is generally not an issue and will not destroy your grass, a population of 10 or more grubs per square foot can cause significant damage.
The damage caused by grubs is largely due to their diet, which consists primarily of grass roots, as well as other organic matter in the soil. As they eat the roots of your grass, they destroy the root system, which means your grass will not get the water and soil nutrients it needs to stay healthy. This will lead to patches of grass that are brown, dead and easy to pull out of the ground.
A significant grub population can also lead to lawn, flowerbed, and garden destruction indirectly as birds, raccoons, and other grub-eating critters tear up your lawn or garden to get to the grubs.
Chafer Grubs Life Cycle
As chafer grubs are beetles, their life cycle matches that of other beetles. Chafer grubs in lawn soil will lay their eggs into it, which will then eventually hatch into tiny white grubs. These new grubs will continue to feed on roots, so its important this issue is resolved to save your grass. When winter arrives, the grubs burrow deeper into your soil and can lie dormant for a long period of time. When spring arrives, youll see them emerge once more. The adult beetles are more likely to appear between the end of May and July. Theyll then begin to lay their eggs on the surface of the soil.
Once the larvae start to mature and grow, they will attract other wildlife that feeds off them. If you start to notice more birds, foxes or similar wildlife in your garden, tearing up the lawn in order to eat the grubs, then this is a sign of a chafer grub infestation. This can be the biggest problem with chafer grubs, as your lawn can really suffer from other animals tearing it apart
You May Like: Kill Wild Violets In Lawn
How To Treat Lawn Grub Attacks
If you find your lawn afflicted with the curse of the lawn grubs dont despair. Treating and eradicating these pests is relatively easy. You will need to be particularly vigilant as the weather warms up, usually September to March, and after heavy rain. Couch and Kikuyu varieties are usually the most prone to attack and Buffalo to a lesser extent. Once you have determined that you are indeed under attack you must defend your lawn without delay.
How To Determine If Your Lawn Has A Grub Infestation
Its normal to have worms, grubs, and insects in your soil, and the presence of some grubs doesnt necessarily mean that you have a problem that requires treatment.
Fall and summer are the times of year at which grubs do the most damage to your lawn, attacking the roots of your grass, and if you see big patches of your lawn that are brown or dying , this is when you can identify a grub infestation.
Some of the signs of grub infestation are brown patches that are irregular in shape or if your lawn just appears generally unhealthy. There may also be small holes in the ground in which animals have been doing some digging.
And if you suddenly notice mole tunnels in your yard, they may have shown up because theres a grub buffet below the grass.
If your lawn looks like this do the following:
Also Check: Toro Mowers At Lowes
How Many Is Too Many
The first thing you need to know about lawn grubs is that its impossible to eliminate them with 100% accuracy. Generally, fewer than five grubs per square foot of your lawn are not enough to be considered a problem. Its when their numbers exceed five that youll have issues. And if you have more than 10 per square foot, your lawn is really in trouble.
What Are Chafer Grubs
Chafer grubs , are the larvae of the chafer beetle that live in soil. They eat the roots of grass, causing yellowish patches to appear on the lawn.
The chafer grub burrows holes through vegetation including lawns, resulting in large patches of bare brown grass. If they are left untreated, they can cause extensive damage to your lawn by enticing predators such as birds, badgers and foxes to dig for a tasty meal. Just like your lawn, chafer grubs in pots when planting are also quite common.
Recommended Reading: Cost Of Trugreen Annual Plan
Are Animals Hanging Out And Feeding In Your Grass
Have you noticed an increase in animal activity in your yard? This could be a sign that animals are attracted to a grub population growing in your yard. Animals such as raccoons, birds, skunks, and armadillos may be spending extra time in your yard to feed on grub worms.
Not only is this a problem because it may indicate a grub issue, but these visiting animals will cause problems of their own. Your turf may take a hard hit as these animals dig and toss dirt to hunt for grubs. You may even notice molehills or tunnels.
Keep an eye on the activity going on in your yard. If these animals and grubs are giving you trouble, it may be time to call a lawn care and pest control company.
How To Kill Grub Worms If Theyre Already Present
You will want to fertilize your lawn with Safer® Brand Lawn Restore® Fertilizer to keep it thick and healthy, and also be sure youre mowing your grass down to a minimum of two inches in height beetles prefer to lay their eggs in thin, sparse grass. It will be necessary to implement an infrequent watering schedule, too. When you do water your lawn, though, make sure to water it deeply to promote deeper and stronger growth of grass roots.
Don’t Miss: Pounds Of Fertilizer Per Acre
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.
The Grass Texture Changes
When the roots of your grass are damaged, as we discussed above, they wont be able to grow or absorb the minerals they need from the soil. It also affects how the grass feels when you walk across it. While grass should be slightly springy, if it feels like youre walking across a yoga mat or a running track, thats a good sign youve got grubs.
Also Check: How Much Does Weekly Lawn Care Cost
How To Repair Minor Damage From Grub Worms
If you can spot only a few grubs in your lawn, the situation is far from serious and can be handled easily. Here is what you need to do to salvage your turf without a complete restoration.
Use a Garden Rake
Use your garden rake to get rid of the brown, affected spots and remove the dead grass. Make sure to rake the damaged area a bit more to remove the extra thatch and loose soil.
Sprinkle Grass Seeds
The next thing you can do is sprinkle new grass seeds over the raked area. We recommend sprinkling 10-15 seeds per square inch for a completely bald area and 5-10 seeds per square inch for a semi-bald area. Sprinkle less if the surrounding turf is healthy
Tamp the Seeds
Once youve sprinkled enough grass seeds, tamp them with your foot. Next, it is good to sprinkle topsoil over the grass seeds.
Water Your Lawn
Lightly water your lawn every day until the grass is a few inches tall. It is recommendable to water every day for two-three weeks.
There Are Two Ways To Test Your Lawn For A Grub Infestation: A Pull Test And A Shovel Test
Pull Test:
- To conduct a pull test, take a handful of grass and tug to see if the grass is still connected to the soil. If the grass comes out easily, you have grubs.
Shovel Test:
- You can also conduct a shovel test for a larger sample, by digging out a square plug from a small portion of your lawn near a suspected grub-damaged area. Be sure to go down about six to eight inches into the soil to where you can see the roots. For both tests, look for the active presence of grubs and root damage. If you happen to discover grubs in the soil, it may be a good idea to start applying treatment to the lawn.
You May Like: Is Trugreen Lawn Care Safe For Pets
What Is A Cabbage Worm
Cabbage worms and imported cabbageworms are the same pest. They are the larvae of white butterflies. Adult cabbage white butterfly is also known as cabbage whites or small whites. The Latin names of cabbage worm are Pieris rapae, or Artogeia rapae. This is a common pest of cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and other cabbage vegetable family members. But wait, theres more!
Cabbage worms have been discovered on a wide range of other plants in our garden, including flowers. They feed mostly on brassica plants. If you notice hokes in your leafy green plants, dont be alarmed. Cabbage Plants can tolerate significant cabbage leaf loss without harm. But, plants will suffer true damage to their growth and yield during seedling establishment or early head formation.
Tip : Plant Deep Rooted Grasses
The best way I’ve found to prevent Grubs organically, without using any chemicals or products is to plant Turf Type Tall Fescue. This modern grass type works specifically well for individuals living in the Midwest. It has a really deep root system, and can get by with one deep watering every 7 days, even in periods of hot, dry weather. The Turf Type Tall Fescue, as found in our Tuff Turf Grass Seed, is also less likely to show signs of Grub Damage, because its roots are so extensive that a little feeding by Grubs doesn’t usually cause many problems. Shallow rooted grasses, like Creeping Bentgrass, show a lot of damage from Grubs because there are far less roots to help it survive.
Don’t Miss: Peat Moss Overseeding
Do I Have A Lawn Grub Problem
Lawn grubs can be present in your lawn but cause absolutely no problems. But how do you know if you have a real lawn grub problem?
Since grubs eat grass roots, the lawn will be easy to pull up in chunks. If its still firmly rooted, then you have another problem, such as brown patch or dog urine damage. Heres a good test, from the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Pull up about 1 square foot of the earth around the base of your sod . If you notice more than 6 grubs in this space, its a good time to consider preventive methods or treatments to reduce overpopulation.
Shetlar, however, recommended that lawn lovers should be even more vigilant, especially in order to prevent large critters from eating them. When talking about the maximum threshold of tolerance for grubs, I always chuckle about , in that skunks and raccoons havent read about this threshold.
As such, it may be worthwhile for homeowners to be just a little warier on account of skunks and raccoons. Shetlar added, If there are four to five grubs per square foot, thats usually enough for them to be digging around.
Will Controlling Grubs In My Lawn Help Control The Garden Beetles That Eat My Plants
Not necessarily, because the adult stage of grubs are flying beetles that can travel to your garden from outside your property. Learn more about these beetles.
Disclaimer: The use of specific brand or trade names in this article is for educational purposes only. The University of New Hampshire does not support the use of one product over others of similar composition, nor does it guarantee the efficacy or quality of any product. The user is responsible for applying pesticides only as directed on the label and in compliance with the law. Product availability is subject to change depending on registration status in the State of New Hampshire and other factors.
Recommended Reading: How To Dispose Of Riding Lawn Mower
How To Check Your Lawn For Grubs
Prevention & Maintenance Tips
Applying a preventative grub control product in the spring or early summer will provide much better grub control than waiting until after the damage has occurred. Use a spreader to apply Scotts® GrubEx®1. Be sure to follow application directions. To activate the product, water immediately after applying. A drought-stressed, underfed lawn will show grub damage faster, and with fewer grubs per square foot, than a properly-fed, well-maintained lawn. A properly maintained lawn can tolerate more grubs per square foot than a stressed lawn. Repair dead patches caused by grubs with Scotts® EZ Seed®.
Don’t Miss: Weedeater 20 Lawn Mower
How Do I Treat For Grubs In My Lawn
After fertilizer and grass seed, grub control products are typically the most prominently displayed and commonly stocked lawn care product at garden centers. For many homeowners, grub control products are an important part of the annual lawn care routine.
More often than not, people are surprised at how much there is to learn about grubs, and how many misconceptions there are about them and the damage they can do to lawns. This blog, accompanying a live video we produced in the field, addresses some of the common questions we get at the UNH Extension Infoline about grubs.
Why Get Grub Control In Spring
Whether youre dealing with grubs or weeds, mosquitoes, or tree diseases, prevention is the best way to handle a problem. By treating your yard for grubs early in the season, youll tackle the problem before it gets out of control. And if you incorporate grub control as part of your annual lawn care program, you likely wont ever have to deal with ruined grass again. Repairing turfgrass damaged by grubs can be costly. And if your lawn is over 50% damaged, you may even need to start over completely with a new lawn. Do your future self a favor and knock out grubs before they knock out your lawn.
You May Like: Lawn Care Facebook Ads
Got Grubs How To Identify Treat And Prevent Lawn Grubs
| Categories: Insect Control, Summer
Lawn grubs are one of many insects to be mindful of when caring for your lawn. Though tiny in size, lawn grubs can pose a big threat to the health of your lawn. Common signs of a lawn grub problem are yellowing or browning, thinning, and weakening of the grass. Your first thought at tackling a grub infestation might be just putting down insect control. While this is one way to solve a grub problem, it is only part of the solution to treating them and reducing their likelihood of returning.
Here is your comprehensive guide to identifying, treating, and preventing lawn grubs:
Why Grubs Are So Bad For Lawns
When adult Japanese beetles lay their eggs under the earth, these eggs will eventually turn into the C-shaped grubs we all know and hate. Grubs need to eat, so they chow down on the roots of your turfgrass. When grass loses its root system, it cant grow and expand and, more importantly, cant absorb vital nutrients and water from the earthconsequently, the grass above withers and dies.
Read Also: Home Depot Coupons On Lawn Mowers
