When Is The Best Time To Treat Lawn For Grubs

It Is All About Timing

Like most Fort Worth homeowners, you think of spring as the season for addressing potential lawn problems, but grubs dance to a different schedule.

But how do you know if you have grubs and need grub treatment?

There are some early predictors of grubs. You may see the tan or copper-colored June beetles flying around the yard in July, which is their prime egg-laying time theyre most active at sundown.

Watering your lawn a lot may attract the beetles, because they like to lay their eggs in moist ground.

If your grass is just starting to discolor, you may already have grubs and want to begin grub lawn treatment.

Theyll make the ground spongy as well as damaging the roots, so you can pull the sod back and actually see the grubs.

There could possibly be 10 or more per square foot. Or you might notice bare spots in sunny areas in your yard for grubs at night.

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How To Prevent A Grub Problem And Maintain A Healthy Lawn

As mentioned earlier, keeping up a healthy and well-maintained lawn makes you much less likely to end up with a grub overpopulation problem.

Appropriately fertilize, water, and aerate your lawn at the right times. If your lawn ever ends up under-nourished or impacted by drought, its much more likely to have higher levels of grubs for each square foot of turf.

Once youve dealt with your grub problem with your chosen product, you can use other products to bring your dead patches back to life.

You can do this with re-seeding or overseeding, and using proper fertilization.

Also, if you have had a confirmed grub issue in your lawn, its a good idea to get on an annual grub prevention schedule, applying that product in June or July every year.

Scotts Grubex1 Grub Killer For Lawns

With one application in spring, you can treat your lawn and prevent grubs for up to 4 months, providing full coverage through the season.

Annual use will help keep Japanese beetles under control, and help protect your flowers and vegetable garden crops. It will also kill armyworms, chinch bugs, cranefly larvae, and billbug larvae.

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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.

What You Need To Know About Grubs

The key to understanding when to apply grub control is understanding the life cycle of lawn grubs. The eggs of Japanese beetles, chafer beetles, and other grub-producing species usually hatch about two weeks after they are laid. In most cases, grubs hatch in mid-summer or late summer, depending on the temperature and moisture content of the soil. As soon as the grub eggs hatch, they will begin to turn your healthy lawn into their summer picnic. Peak feeding tends to occur in early fall.

Because newly hatched grubs are more vulnerable to grub killer solutions than mature grubs, its ideal to kill grubs when theyre young, which is typically between late summer and early fall. Targeting newly hatched grubs is effective, but you can also put down grub control when you spot lawn damage like those telltale dead patches of turfgrass, which is the clearest sign of grub activity. Another sign of a grub problem is that your lawn feels spongy when you step on it. You may also notice that birds and raccoons are digging up your green turf to dine on your lawn grubs as well as adult beetles.

On the other hand, grub preventer pesticides can help you prevent adult beetles from laying their eggs in the first place. You can prevent grubs using a grub killer designed to kill mature grubs and adult beetles.

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How To Tell If You Have Lawn Grubs

The first sign of lawn grubs is often irregular brown patches in your lawn. These could be caused by many different factors, but if you can pull up the grass easily, its a clear indicatorthe grubs will have chewed through the roots, making it easy to separate from the soil.

Increased animal activity is another sign. Grubs make up a large part of the diets of skunks, raccoons, and birds. If you notice a lot more holes in your lawn from digging or pecking, these critters might be after abundant grubs.

What Month Should You Apply Grub Control

While it really depends on your region, you should be safe applying grub control in June, no matter where you live. If grubs have already started laying eggs at this point, they still havent had time to hatch, but in most regions, the egg-laying hasnt even started yet.We know June can be hot, and the last thing you want to do is to head out and apply grub control, but thats when youll get the best results.

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Signs Of Grub Problems

There are several easy-to-spot signs that you may have grubs in your lawn:

Raccoons, skunks, armadillos, or birds are digging up your yard. These animals all love to dine on large, mature grubs.

You can pull back the dead patches on your lawn like pieces of loose carpet. This happens because grubs eat the roots holding the turf firmly in place on the soil.

Before the dead patches even appear, your lawn feels spongy when stepped on, as it it were freshly laid sod.

To check if you have a grub problem, peel back a square foot of green turf in each of several areas of your lawn. If you see 6 or more grubs in each area, it may be time for action.

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How To Scout For Lawn Grubs

The only way to be sure that you have grubs is to scout for them in your lawn.

• Cut in a one-foot section of your lawn. You can use a shovel or a lawn edger, in a place where you suspect grub activity.
• Peel up the soil from that cut. If there is grub damage, the grass will peel up easily.
• Sift around the soil, counting the grubs you find.
• Tally the count. If there are 10 or more grubs per square foot, you have a serious infestation.
• Replace the grass youve cut. You dont want to damage the lawn.
• Repeat the process. Scout in other places on the lawn, just to be sure.

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What Chemical Products Can I Use To Control Grubs In My Lawn

If you have a severe grub infestation and want to use a chemical product to control grubs, you have a number of widely available options.

From about late April into early June, you can effectively use a product with the active ingredient chlorantraniliprole to control all species of white grubs we have in New Hampshire. This chemical also controls caterpillars such as webworms and armyworms. This product is most effective when the grub is actively feeding so applying it 2 to 3 months in advance of severe grub feeding from June to August is recommended. This ingredient is in two widely available products: GrubEx® and Roundup® For Lawns Bug Destroyer. The U.S. EPA designates this chemical as a low risk pesticide due to its low toxicity to bees and other beneficial insects.

Some products registered for controlling grubs just have a pyrethroid, such as products with the active ingredient Gamma-Cyhalothrin, commonly found in the Spectracide® Triazicide® Insect Killer For Lawns. According to research from Michigan State University, products that only contain lambda-cyhalothrin, gamma-cyhalothrin, bifenthrin, deltamethrin, cyfluthrin or permethrin do not work for grub control.

In most cases, whether its early spring or fall, its preferable to simply wait until the next appropriate window for using a preventative product that gets better results and is more targeted. Learn more about current insecticide approaches for white grubs from UMass Extension.

Japanese Beetles Life Cycle

Grub control measures can be taken in spring as well as late summer or early fall. The spring is the time for preventative grub control, while the late summer/fall is the best time to kill live grubs in your yard. Japanese beetles and June bugs lay their eggs in summer, which hatch a couple of weeks later. Grubs eat grassroots and other organic material as soon as theyre hatched.

As the weather cools, mature grubs will burrow deep in the soil. They will remain dormant over the winter. By early spring as temperatures rise, the grubs re-emerge and transform into beetles, which will then go on to mate and lay eggs, leading to a new generation of grubsand more turf damage without effective grub control measures.

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How To Treat For Grubs In Central Texas Naturally

In short, the temporary solution is not to have your lawns treated with chemicals. Your best long-term strategy is to change the landscape by adding diversity to where you have grass around your house. Add some native plants as well and provide some relief from the monoculture. Grubs naturally feed on certain plants, so if you have more of those around your house, they might not go for the grass.

That isnt to say that all grub control is bad or even evil. If we want a healthy lawn and dont already have native plants in our yard, then as a temporary fix or just for aesthetics you can have your lawn tipped to kill off most of the grubs.

Its best for this to be done before , but sometimes if needed it can be done mid-summer. This is because grubs tend to feed more in the fall and winter, then pupate underground over the winter and emerge as beetles in the spring/summer. Anyway, its important to not let your lawn get too far gone before trying to treat it for grubsthe larvae come out of the ground easier if there is no grass to mow and keep down.

One natural solution is to use the naturally occurring nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, which are microscopic in size and invades grubs. The worms release bacteria that kill them, but it may take up to three years for them to be completely effective in ridding your yard of grubs.

The Scotts Way: Get Rid Of Grubs

If youve had problems in early summer with beetles, and by late summer dead patches of grass have appeared in your lawn, you probably have grubs. Grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles, June beetles, chafers, and others. These white, C-shaped grubs feast on organic matter in the soil, including grass roots.

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Monitor The Local Rainfall And Irrigate Accordingly

To keep your lawn watered correctly, pay close attention to the rainfall. Some weeks, you may get up to an inch or two in the lawn, and you dont need to irrigate that week. When its dry, hot, or windy, you may find yourself watering two to three times that week. Getting stuck on an odd/even watering rule that many municipalities have in play isnt something you want to deal with. This usually means youre wasting water and doing more harm than good to your lawn.

What Should You Do After Grub Control Pesticide Application

Once you have put down grub control pesticide on your grass, there are some other things you should do.

These include immediate wearing and then keeping an eye on the area, to make sure there isnt any grub activity.

You should apply water to your lawn right after applying grub control. This is especially important if you are using a granular type of grub preventer or grub killer.

If you are using a granular formula, apply a minimum of an inch of water. If you dont do this, a granular formulation wont be effective.

Remember to keep an eye on your lawn after, to make sure the grub control is working. You might still see some grubs right after, as some products will take as long as a week to work.

If you still see a problem after that, the treatment wasnt effective. You possibly didnt use the correct amount, or you need to try something else.

You can calculate your lawns square footage right here to be sure you apply the perfect amount of product to the impacted area of your yard.

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When Is It Too Late To Apply Grub Control To Your Lawn

Summer is fast approaching, and lawn owners know that summer is the time to go on intensive lawn care routines. This, of course, is because summer comes with its fair share of lawn troubles.

Grubs for one are usually significantly higher during summer. And if they arent tackled on time, they could leave your lawn looking like a blast from the past. Knowing how and when to go for grub control could save you and your lawn a great deal of time and resources.

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.

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Option : Chemical Control

Chemical-based grub-control can be very effective, but keep in mind that toxic chemicals can kill beneficial insects at the same time that they kill grubs. Take care to understand the printed instructions for safe use, and be sure to consider the risks that chemical lawn treatments can pose for children and pets.

Generally speaking, chemical treatments fall into two categories: curatives and preventives.

• Curatives, which are designed to kill immature larvae, should be applied in late summer or early fall when young grubs are actively feeding on grass roots. Look for a product that contains trichlorfon, such as Dylox . Just note that curatives do not affect grubs that have already developed into pupae.
• If youve had a grub problem in the past, or if youve spotted telltale brown patches in your neighbors yard, applying a preventive grub-control product will reduce the risk of your lawn becoming infested. Preventive products stop the next generation of grubs, but they have little effect on any young grubs that are currently chomping away in your grass. Look for preventive products that contain either imidacloprid or halofenozide .

Life Cycle Of A Beetle

The majority of adult beetle species lay eggs in the summer and in 10 days the grubs hatch. From around August, the new grubs will start feeding on organic matter in the soil including the roots of the grass until late October when the cold weather arrives.

The grubs will then burrow 2 to 8 inches into the soil to overwinter.

When spring arrives and the soil warms, the fully grown grubs begin feeding on the grass roots again. In late spring and early summer, grubs pupate waiting to emerge as adult beetles in mid-summer. These adult beetles will lay eggs again and the cycle continues like that.

Therefore, the best time to apply grub control is early spring or late summer when grubs are more active in your lawn.

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Reputation Of The Brand

Consumers’ purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by the best grub worm killer brand’s reputation. Your e-previous store’s customers’ reviews or the brand’s longevity are both taken into consideration while making this decision. More than 60 percent of buyers will abandon their shopping carts if the quantity of bad reviews on their best grub worm killer product or service is significant. As a result, it is critical to keep an eye on the online store’s reputation.

Products To Kill Lawn Grubs

Grub KillaTreating tips when spraying for lawn grubs:

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Whats The Best Time To Apply Grub Control

The best time to apply grub control depends on whether youre preventing them or killing the ones already damaging your lawn. It is usually best to put down grub preventers in June and July just when the grubs are about to hatch. This will provide the best preventative control of grubs for the next season.

If you want to stop grub damage immediately, the best time to apply grub killer insecticide in your lawn is as soon as you see signs of damage. This is usually any time between early spring to early August when the grub worms are most active eating and damaging grass in your lawn.