Do I Really Need Grub Control Or Are You Trying To Upsell Me Buddy
As certified lawn care specialists, Joshua Tree offers grub control as part of our lawn care services. Statistics tell us that grubs will affect most lawns each and every year, so we recommend grub and pest prevention/control on an annual basis. Often, homeowners stand on their beautiful expanses of lush, green lawn each spring and ask me, Josh, youve treated my lawn with grub agents for a number of years now do I really need to sign up for grub prevention again this year? I smile and reply, Are you happy with the way the lawn looks today? A simple drive through our Allentown and Bethlehem PA neighborhoods will provide instant insight into who uses grub prevention measures and who doesnt.
If youve used grub prevention agents in the past and your lawn looks beautiful, I highly advise you continue using grub prevention agents to keep your lawn looking beautiful. Its as simple as that. Grub control measures need to be taken on annual basis to work consistently. Skipping a year may be fine, but if any beetles have laid their eggs in your lawns soil over the course of that last year, you can be looking at a seriously damaged lawn by mid-fall.
If youd like to find out more about our grub control services and lawn care programs, contact us for a free consultation or give us a call at 610-365-2200 so that we can answer any questions.
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The Right Time For Grub Treatment Coincides With Periods Having The Most Damage
When grubs infest your lawn or hatch, they dont immediately cause severe damage. As their larvae go through different stages of development, they eventually reach the stage where their damage is most visible. This is the peak of their feeding activity and spans from the months of August to October as earlier pointed out.
Now, the ideal treatment period coincides with such damage, starting a bit earlier from April through October. These range from the acceptable treatment period to the ideal treatment period. April and May are acceptable periods for treatment while June through September is ideal periods.
We earlier made mention of October as an also being acceptable treatment period. Any other time of the year outside of these should be ruled out for grub treatment.
Will Grub Damaged Lawn Grow Back
If you realize that your lawn is showing all the signs of infestation and pulling up some patches reveals more than 10 grubs per square foot, how do you determine whether to remove all of it or wait it out? Can it survive the onslaught?
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Why Should I Avoid Treatment For Grubs At Certain Times Of Year
As the year winds to a halt, grubs become dormant with no damage caused to your lawns from the months of November through January. However, as winter winds to a halt grubs emerge after thaw and begin to cause moderate damage.
This is still not the ideal time for treating grubs.
Such feeding later ceases between April through July with no visible damage to your lawn. Despite the fact that no damage is seen, this period is considered an acceptable treatment period because adult beetles lay eggs at this time.
Take Control Of Grubs In Your Lawn
University Park, Pa. — Got grubs? Reluctant to spray pesticides on your lawn, but don’t know how else to get rid of them? The Pennsylvania IPM Program has advice for safe and effective alternatives.
According to Michelle Niedermeier, community integrated pest management coordinator with PA IPM, a collaboration between the Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, white grubs are immature scarab beetles such as Japanese or Oriental beetles. “Grubs live in the soil eating plant roots, so you may not be aware of them until you see damage.”
In late June and early July, Japanese beetles emerge from the soil in search of food and mates. They feed on a variety of plants, including roses, grapes and linden trees. In July, females will lay up to 60 eggs in the soil, with first eggs hatching about two weeks later. “The grubs are small and feed close to the surface, causing visible damage from August to October as they molt and consume more roots,” said Niedermeier. “Look for large, irregular patches of brown turf that easily peel away from the soil. As temperatures drop in the fall, grubs will move down into the soil, below the frost line before moving up in the spring closer to the heat in order to form pupae, a nonfeeding stage that transforms the grub into a beetle.”
For information on grubs and lawn care tips, visit PA IPM’s Pest Problem Solver on the Web at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/ProblemSolvers/hlawn.html online.
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Applying Effective Grub Killers Yourself
There are lots of over-the-counter remedies developed for grub infestation. These are in the form of insecticides and repellents.
Some of the most effective products include Scotts GrubEX Season Long Grub Killer, St. Gabriel Milky Spore Grub Control Mix, and BioAdvanced 24 Hour Grub Killer Plus.
Other effective grub insecticides include Bayer Dylox 6.2 White Grub Insecticide, Bayer Season Long Grub Control Plus Turf Revitalizer, Roundup bug Destroyer, and Bonide BND60360 Insect & Grub Killer. These are only a few of several remedies you can use for your grub problem.
Each comes with specific instructions for use which you must abide by.
How To Detect Grub Worms
Knowing how to detect grub worms is key to treating them. Visible lawn grub damage can be seen from late summer to early fall. Look for irregular brown patches of lawn that peel away easily from the soil, like carpet. To determine the extent of infestation or which areas require treatment, dig up small sections of lawn. Typically, more than five grub worms per ¼ square foot warrants treatment and lawn grub control.
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What To Do After Putting Down Grub Control Pesticide
You want to get the best effects after applying the pesticide on your lawn. Here are a few tips on what to do after the application:
- Water your lawn immediately after putting down grub control: Most grub killers and preventers come as granular formulations. For them to be effective, water your lawn to at least 1-inch.
- Monitor your lawn for grub worm activity after treating it. After applying a grub killer, you expect eradication to happen within a few days to a week. If the damage continues, it is likely the grub treatment was not enough or did not work.
Pro tip: Some grub control pesticides such as Scotts GrubX provide long-term control and can be applied almost any time of the season. It can kill adult beetles and reduce their population in your yard.
- One application in the spring or early summer kills and prevents grubs for 4 months,
- Helps prevent root damage caused by insects for a stronger lawn
- Prevents turf damage by killing grubs when they are young
Preventive Insecticides That Will Prevent Grub Damage Next Fall And Following Spring
These products are used to prevent future grub problems, not to control the grubs present in the lawn in the spring. They will not work on grubs found in the lawn from the middle of October through the middle of May. However, when applied in June or July they provide excellent protection against the next generation of grubs. So, if you need to apply the preventive insecticide BEFORE the grubs are there, how do you know if you need to use an insecticide or not? If you confirmed grub damage the previous fall or spring, meaning you found lots of grubs, then you may want to use a preventive insecticide for one or two years to build a more dense turf that will be tolerant of grubs. If you have treated for several years and you do not see evidence of grubs in your lawn or in the neighbors lawn, it may be time to stop treating. There is an erroneous philosophy being perpetuated that because we have European chafers and Japanese beetles in the area, it is necessary to treat every year or your lawn will be damaged by grubs. This is not true.
In addition, grub control products that contain the active ingredient chlorantraniliprole are safe for bees, even when weed flowers are sprayed. Finally, avoid spray drift or granular spreader drift to flower beds when applying thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, clothianidin or any insecticide for grubs other than chlorantraniliprole
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Can I Treat My Lawn For Grubs In The Fall
The key to controlling grubs is to kill them before they hatch and begin to cause damage to your lawn. In spring or early summer, apply a preventative grub control product, such as Scotts® GrubEx®1 to your lawn, following label directions. This is especially important if youve had problems with grubs in the past.
You may ask, When should I spray for lawn grubs?
Because lawn grubs bury themselves in the soil during the day and come out to feed at night the most effective time to apply the treatment is as late in the day as possible while the adults are active. If you are treating during a dry spell remember to water the insecticide into the lawn.
Fall Turf Grass Problems Grubs Might Be The Culprit
If you are noticing ugly, dead patches in your lawn, you might have an active population of white grubs. White grubs can cause serious damage to turfgrass. Their feeding injures plant roots, causing the turf to wilt and die.
Symptoms of grub damage include:
- Patchy areas of wilting, discolored or stressed turf that does not respond to irrigation.
- Large irregular patches of dead turf that can be rolled back like a loose carpet.
- Raccoons, skunks and crows tearing up the lawn .
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Learn How And When To Treat Japanese Beetles And Grubs With Blains Farm & Fleet
The immature stage of the Japanese beetle the white grub typically has a three year life cycle. However, most of the damage to ornamentals and turf grass happens during the spring and fall the second year. This is when grubs are present in the top inch of the root zone, heavily feeding on grass roots and thatch. In the third year of the cycle, the grubs rise out of the soil as Japanese beetles. These beetles feed on surrounding plants and lay eggs in the soil throughout the summer. These eggs eventually hatch into grubs and the cycle begins again. Blains Farm & Fleet is here to help you get rid of Japanese beetles and grubs.
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But When Is It Too Early To Apply Grub Control
When treating your lawn to prevent grub damage for the next season, it would be too early to apply grub preventer on your turf in early spring.
The pesticide will easily disintegrate into the soil and lose its potency by the time the grubs hatch in July through August.
According to the Colorado State University Extension, insecticides are best used in ways that allow them to be in high concentration in the root zone at the same time eggs are hatching and young white grubs are present.
When timing is done right, youll be able to control about 80 percent of the grubworm infestation in the next season.
For the grub killers, you can stop lawn damage almost immediately especially if you follow the right application guidelines on the label of the pesticide.
How Soon After Treating For Grubs Can You Plant Grass Seed
For those of you who dont know, its grub season. If you have a lawn, you know that grub damage is as real as it can get. It can spoil the whole look of your yard.
Your lawn is an asset. Its a window of how well you keep the house. So, it needs constant maintenance.
Grubs are terrible. They feed on the plants and shrubs we painstakingly grow. Thankfully, several grub control treatments can deal with the threat that is grub. Some work better than others.
Our end goal? Preserving as many square feet of the lawn as possible.
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When Can I Put Down Grub Control
There are two main types of grub control treatments, preventative grub control and corrective grub control. If you are asking this question in Spring or early Summer, youll need to direct your attention to the preventative materials. These materials are applied well before grubs hatch in late Summer and can provide several months of control. Preventative products remain ready to kill grubs after they first hatch and start to feed.
If you are asking this question late in the Summer or Fall when you have found grubs in your lawn, you will need a corrective control. This material provides good control when watered into turf with feeding grubs and has very little residual activity. Its basically a quick-kill product.
How To Identify A Lawn Grub Problem
- First test is to lay a wet towel, hessian bag or piece of carpet on the lawn overnight. In the morning, lift it up and see if anything has come to the surface and is underneath it.
- Second test is to mix together a bucket of soapy water and pour it over the edge of an affected area. Keep any eye on it and after about 10 minutes or so, usually if there are grubs there, they will come to the surface. This is best done at dawn or dusk when they are most likely to be active.
So, youve done the tests and you do have a grub problem, but how do you fix it?
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How Can I Naturally Get Rid Of Grubs In My Lawn
If youre dealing with Japanese beetle grubs, milky spore is another natural bacterium that may assist. Allowing grubs to dry out is another easy method to destroy them. They can only grow in wet soil and will perish if there is a drought. If you dont water the grass, you may be able to get rid of them.
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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.
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What Is The Best Time To Apply Grub Control
The best time to apply grub control for lawns and gardens is June or July. Because if you apply it in early spring, the pesticide will move through the soil or even degrade before the grubs hatch.
As we mentioned earlier, you need to apply curative products in the fall. And when it comes to Grub Ex, it is vital to know that it targets insects larval stage.
So when to apply Grub Ex? The best is to do it when the beetles lay their eggs on the lawns, i.e., from spring to early summer. This is generally the best time to kill grubs.
