Make A Homemade Grub Killer With Borax
Before you consider making a homemade grub killer using borax, it is important to note that borax contains boron, and too much boron will kill your grass. If you use a borax grub killer repeatedly on your lawn or in flowerbeds or garden beds, the boron will accumulate in the soil and nothing will grow. So, this option should be used sparingly, if at all.
If you choose to use borax, the simplest recipe is to add one tablespoon of borax with warm water in a spray bottle. Then, use the spray bottle to distribute the borax-water solution on areas where you have found grubs. You will need to repeat this treatment until you have eradicated the grub population, so remember the part about boron accumulating in the soil over time before you choose this option.
Other recipes for borax grub killers include mixing onion, peppers or garlic in the warm water with the borax.
The Final Touches On What Eats Grubs In Your Lawn
Though grubs are a vital part of the ecosystem in your lawn, they can become over populated and destroy the grass by eating the plants from underneath. It is then that you will be thankful that they are delicious sources of food for their natural predators.
Many different types of animals can help you and even ones that you may be willing to set loose on your property to do the work.
Just keep in mind that the goal is not to kill them off permanently. This could have a chain reaction in the local animal and plant population that you may regret.
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Why Do Lawns Get Grubs
Lawn Grubs find a place in lawns that have suitable conditions for their growth. Lawn grubs proliferate if the lawns wet in June/July.
Lawn Grubs are also known to like Ryegrasses. They can attack any lawn, but they multiply only when the lawns suitable to them.
Identifying their presence is crucial if you want to have an upper hand on the pests. Lets see what the signs are.
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What Are Lawn Grubs
A classic lawn grub or white grub is a whitish C-shaped larva of a beetle that are about ½ inch in length. The beetles typically lay their eggs during mid summer in sunny areas of the lawn. Their larva live in the soil eating on the roots of grass and other organic matter leaving it dry, brown and dead.
Eventually grubs turn into adult beetles and come out of the soil to mate and lay eggs which hatch into more grubs.
Was This the Culprit?
Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Grub Worms In Your Lawn
Grub worms damage your lawn by feeding on the roots, and eventually turn into adult beetles that eat the leaves of other prized plants in your garden. Many homeowners simply treat their lawn with a chemical grub control product, or grub killer, once or twice a year. But there are also a number of natural methods that can be effective ways to get rid of grub worms. Check out the following tips from our readers on how to get rid of grubs naturally.
Q: I have white grub worms all over my garden and I hate to use pesticides. Are there any natural methods to get rid of them?
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. They have nematodes that seek and destroy flea larvae too. Here’s what one reader says about his experience with nematodes: “Works great. Did my yard last year, my dogs never have fleas unless we go someplace else. The nematodes for grubs work equally as well. Had them in my compost pile, wiped them out. No more grubs!” .
Answer 5: Other readers have seen results using neem oil. Mix as directed with water and spray affected areas of your lawn to deter beetles from laying eggs, as well as keep grubs from feeding. .
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What Do White Grubs Look Like
White grubs are the larva, or young, of several kinds of beetles. The European Chafer and Japanese Beetle are two of the most common in the Toronto area and throughout Ontario.
The adults breed through the early Summer and lay eggs in your lawn, which hatch in mid-to late-August and begin to feed, causing grub damage to occur.
Why Does My Lawn Have Grubs But Not My Neighbor
Keep in mind the adult stage of the grub life cycle is a beetle, which can fly. Random chance is part of the answer. But adult beetles usually lay eggs in full-sun lawn areas with adequate soil moisture. The masked chafer and Japanese beetle lay eggs in July. So if the weather has been dry but your lawn is watered and surrounded by dry lawns, it is a prime target for egg laying.
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White Grubs In Your Lawn How To Repair Lawn Damage From Grubs
Grub damage is typically caused in the spring and is the end result of hungry insects attacking lawns in the previous fall, coupled with raccoons and skunks digging up the lawn to look for them and eat them. Preventative grub control treatment and good lawn care practices can minimize the risk of grub damage happening on your property.
White Grubs What Are They
White grubs are the immature phase, or larvae, of beetles in the scarab family. In Minnesota, white grubs are typically the larvae of May-June beetles and Japanese beetles.
Like all beetles, white grubs undergo complete metamorphosis. Adult beetles lay their eggs in the ground, where the eggs hatch and the beetle larvae live. The beetles progress through the egg stage, several immature stages, and a non-feeding intermediate stage to the adult stage.
The bodies of white grubs grow considerably throughout their life cycle and they move within the soil. White grubs cant tolerate freezing temperatures when temperatures cool in the fall, larvae move lower in the soil, below the normal frost line, to survive winter. When the weather warms, they move up to feed on roots.
Different species of white grubs look similar to one another but can be distinguished by the arrangement of hairs and bristles on the underside of their abdomen at the tip called a raster pattern. Raster patterns are challenging to see and recognize an expert should identify any pest grubs.
Management will differ based on what species of white grub is present in your yard because they have different timing for their life cycles, which means different timing for management.
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How Grubs Destroy Lawns
You might not realize you have a grub control problem until its too late. These silent killers bring a whole slew of problems from ruined grass to other pests that enjoy dining on grubs. Keep reading to learn about the damage grubs can wreak and what you can do about it.
1. They Attract Critters
You probably dont consider grubs a tasty treat, but many animals and birds do! When they detect your lawn is rife with grubs, theyll turn your beautiful grass into a patchy, torn up wasteland. Possums, raccoons, skunks, and other creatures have no qualms about tearing up the turfto get to grubs beneath the surface. Birds will also poke around your lawn and while they may not create as much of a nuisance as four-legged creatures, they can leave droppings behind and ruin the view. When you look out your window, you want to see a lush green lawn not dozens of birds swarming like an Alfred Hitchcock film.
2. Theres More Than One Kind of Grub
Unfortunately, there isnt one type of insect that likes to mess with your lawn. Both and Japanese Beetles love to lay their eggs on your lawn. Once they hatch, both insects are considered grubs. In late spring, when they reach the adult stage, theyll lay eggs and the infestation will continue to get out of control.
3. Grubs Cause Root Damage
There is nothing grubs love more than munching on the roots of your lawn. This causes grass to wilt and turn a nasty brown color, creating unsightly dead patches in your lawn.
Is Your Lawn Ready For A New Best Friend
Ready to evict those gobbling grubs and stop groaning about your Idaho Falls or Boise, ID lawn? Weve got your back targeted grub control treatment is included in our complete lawn care package.Help prevent lawn grubs by making sure your lawn is healthy in the first place.Make it easy on yourself. Choose an Idaho Falls or Boise, ID professional lawn care service that bundles your yards most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan. Fertilizing, weed control, grub control. Done.Got a few minutes? Thats all you need to get started.
- Fill out the form on this page.
- Call us at 656-9131.
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Treating A Lawn Grub Invasion
A chemical-free way to rid yourself of lawn grubs is to put a wet hessian bag over the affected area of your lawn. The grubs will attach themselves to the hessian overnight and you can then dispose of the grubs first thing in the morning. The more thorough method for you can use a chemical like Grub Killa. With the active ingredient Bifenthrin, this product is toxic to most insects but less toxic to birds and of minimal toxicity to mammals. This makes it safer than many other pest control products.
Treating tips when spraying for lawn grubs:
How To Fill Holes In The Lawn
Now that you know what makes small holes in the ground, its time to fix those holes and make your lawn pretty again.
Having holes in the lawn is not only ugly, but it can also be potentially dangerous for the kids and pets too. Now, filling those lawn holes depends on the size and number of holes you have there.
If there are only one or two smaller holes, you can simply get some topsoil or even dirt to put them into the hole. Now, step on it and apply foot pressure to make it firm.
Lastly, you can rake the scattered soil into the lawn crevices.
However, you need to apply a different approach for bigger holes to mitigate the serious damage to your lawn ASAP. Follow these below-mentioned steps to fill the bigger holes and ruts:
For too many holes and the damage to your lawn is too much, you need to re-establish your lawn. That means, pest control, tilling, and so on!
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes small round holes in the lawn?
Small rodents like moles, voles, insects may cause such smaller round holes. Also, wasp and other similar insects may lay eggs on sod and produce holes as well.
What is digging small holes in my yard at night?What is burrowing in my lawn?What does vole damage to lawn look like?
Final Thoughts
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Controlling Grubs In The Lawn
Beetles, like Japanese and chafer beetles, emerge in early summer, feed on plants in the garden, and lay their eggs in the soil in the lawn. Later in the summer, the grubs hatch and immediately begin to feed. They will continue to eat and grow until mid-fall, when they move deeper in the soil so they can survive through the winter. When the soil warms up again in the spring, the large, mature grubs move back into the upper soil levels, where they transform into adult beetles that emerge in early summer and start the whole process over again.
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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When To Apply Grub Worm Treatment
Once lawn grubs have been detected and treatment is necessary, you need to know when to apply grub worm treatment. The best time for treating grub worms is in late summer or early fall while the grub worms are still small and close to the surface.
Grub worms are less susceptible to treatment in the spring, as they are too large and no longer feeding. For this reason, insecticides are less effective. Spring rains can also make this difficult, as applications may be washed away.
When choosing insecticides for lawn grubs, its important to consider the various types. For fall treatment, Dylox is the most effective and fast acting available. However, two products worth consideration for use early in the season, Merit and Mach-2, can be helpful for prevention. These target the pests before they lay their eggs, killing them and any hatchlings before an infestation occurs. Always read and follow instructions carefully when using these types of products.
How To Get Rid Of Grubs In Lawn
Lawn grubs are common garden pests that live in your soil, eat grass roots, and eventually turn your yard brown. They often attract other unwelcome animals that come to feed on them as they dig up grass patches in the process. The key to combating lawn grubs is in prevention and early detection. Read on to learn more about grubs and grub control in order to avoid the massive lawn damage they inflict.
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How To Get Rid Of Lawn Grubs
In most climates, grubs are near the surface of the soil. Theyre at their smallest and most vulnerable in August and September, so these are the best months to treat for them.
Sod Solutions recommends Dylox 6.2 Granular White Grub Insecticide, which needs to be applied with a broadcast spreader and watered within 24 hours. However, this product is toxic to wildlife, and shouldnt enter storm drains or drainage ditches. For a natural pest solution, try one or more of these options:
- Introduce nematodes beneficial, microscopic worms that feed on grub worms.
- Introduce milky spore, a naturally occurring disease that attacks grub worms but doesnt harm other plants or wildlife. The spores must be spread several times over two years, but they protect your lawn for 10 years or more.
- Create a bird-friendly habitat by placing birdhouses and birdbaths in your yard to attract insect-eating birds like robins, wrens and jays. Theyll eat the grubs, along with the beetles once they start to emerge.
A Summary For Successful Grub Control
- Check the bag or bottle to determine what active ingredient the product contains.
- Do not use products containing ONLY lambda-cyhalothrin, gamma-cyhalothrin, bifenthrin, deltamethrin, cyfluthrin or permethrin for any phase of grub control.
- Do not use preventive compounds such as clothianidin, thiamethoxam or imidacloprid now. Use them in June or July to control grubs that would be damaging turf in the fall. Applying them now will allow some of the chemical to leach through the turf or break down to the point that not enough insecticide will be there in July to control grubs.
- The preventive compound chlorantraniliprole should ideally be applied in April or May to control grubs that would be damaging turf in the fall as it will take longer for the material to move to where the grubs will be feeding in July.
- To kill grubs in the spring or fall, use carbaryl or trichlorfon.
- Always wear rubber gloves and rubber boots when applying insecticides to turfgrass.
- Make sure to irrigate the lawn with at least 0.5 inches of water* and allow the grass to dry before allowing anyone or pets into the treated area. Irrigation is essential for the chemical to be most effective.
- Store insecticide products in a locked cabinet not accessible to children.
- Proper fertilization is important to prevent and allow the lawn to recover from grub damage.
- Mow lawns immediately before applying an insecticide for grubs to remove weed flowers and protect bees.
- Apply in spring or fall to active grubs.
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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.
