Encourage Birds In Your Lawn
Birds feed on Lawn Grubs, and so what is better than letting the predators do their work. Small birds, especially House Wren, might prove helpful for you, thus encourage them on your lawn. Consider planting a birdhouse, bird feeder, or any way to attract them to your lawn/ garden, and their increased feeding activity on your Lawn will definitely lessen down the number of Grubs.
Tip: If you pet chicken or hen, they might also prove you as equally helpful as birds. Only keep an eye before they actually destroy your other plantation as well.
Note: While feeding on grubs, birds might also start digging up the lawn resulting in some damage.
Also, this method is only helpful with a lesser number of Lawn Grubs.
Signs Of Grub Problems
There are several easy-to-spot signs that you may have grubs in your lawn:
- Raccoons, skunks, or moles 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 several areas of your lawn. If you see 6 or more grubs in each area, it may be time for action.
As Natural Solution Use Nematodes For Grub Control:
To control the grubs a natural way is to apply Nematodes in your lawn and within few days it will show its magic. First choose the right nematodes and mix them with distilled water and take them in a spray bottle.
Shake well the mixture and apply to moist your lawn in the evening or night. After two weeks time period repeat it again for the pleasant surprise. Just after you apply the spray wait for 20 minutes and then water the whole land for enough moisture.
Tips: Do not use the Nematodes in the day time as it will evaporate by the light and heat.
You May Like: Riding Mowers Made In Usa
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.
How Many Lawn Care Visits Do I Need
Its common to want to ask how many visits you need but in reality, what you really need to be looking at is what treatments your lawn needs.
Thats quite different as multiple treatments can be combined into one visit. You want to be paying attention to what specifically will be performed on your lawn throughout the year.
For instance, a 7-visit program could have anywhere from 7-11 treatments from one company to another. Dont get hung up on the number of visits. Whats included?!
At Master Lawn, we know that every lawn is different. Customer expectations are different, too. Thats why we have three lawn care programs that aim to meet all of our clients needs.
- Our Silver Program includes 7 lawn care visits and will cover the most common issues your lawn faces.
- Our Gold Program includes 9 lawn care visits and adds 2 turf disease control treatments to the offerings.
- Our Platinum Program includes 10 lawn care visits with an added visit for core aeration. This is also our hybrid approach that uses organic, bio-nutritional probiotic soil additives.
Each of these programs includes strategically timed visits throughout the season that are designed to ensure that your lawn is receiving what it needs when it needs it. Well break that down a bit further for you so that you can understand what you receive for your investment.
Since our Gold Program is our most popular program, well use that as our example.
Read Also: Kill Lawn Violets
Signs Of Grub Worms In Lawn
A lawn thats developing brown patches and showing signs of weakening could be suffering from disease. Fungal infections commonly produce brown spots, but even white grubs in your lawn can cause similar signs.
Here are signs of grubs in your lawn and how to check for these destructive worms:
- Dead patches in the lawn: Youll observe patches of brown or dead spots as the grass starts to thin out, turn yellow, and die. This occurs because grubs feed on roots, thus killing your turfgrass easily. Check out this great article I did on other causes of brown patches in lawns.
- A spongy turf: Grubs will damage the roots of turfgrass, leaving the grass easy to pull and roll up just like carpet. To test this symptom, you can do a tug test on your grass to see if it pulls up too easily.
- Increased raccoon and bird activity: Birds, moles, and raccoons feed on worms and other insects in the lawn. If you notice theres increased activity of these predators digging your lawn, it could be a sign there are grubs in your lawn.
- Presence of many grubs in the soil: A major sign of grub infestation in your lawn is the presence of the milky-white, C-shaped worms in soil samples cut from your yard. A few of these pests shouldnt stress your grass, but a large number of them can cause serious damage. More than 5 grubs per square foot of lawn soil will produce symptoms of white grub damage.
Chemical Ways To Get Rid Of Lawn Grubs
Chemical control is sure to kill off your lawn grubs, but it comes at a costusing these treatments can kill beneficial insects, too. There are two types of chemical treatments.
Also Check: How To Estimate Lawn Mowing Jobs
Chafer Grub Lawn Damage
Chafer grubs are the larval forms of Chafer Beetle. A severe infestation of these larvae causes brown patches in the lawn.
Chafer grubs devour the roots of the grass and could go unnoticed for months. They are only outed by critters when they dig out the lawn.
The aforementioned methods work well to eliminate chafer grubs but the most efficient way to get rid of them is by using Provado.
Provado Lawn Grub killer
Provado lawn grub killer can eliminate Chafer grubs and Leatherjacket larvae efficiently. Imidacloprid thats present in the insecticide is the miracle behind such efficiency.
How To Control Lawn Grubs
A few grubs aren’t a problem, but if you see lots of them when you turn the soil, take action.
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.
Don’t Miss: How To Fix Dead Patches Of Grass
Lawn Grub Treatment Applications
Lawn grub treatment must enter the soil. An application requires watering immediately afterward in order for the chemicals to penetrate into the ground.
Before applying grub treatments to the grass, remember you will also destroy some other insects in the soil, including varieties of grubs which do not damage plant roots.
For this reason, if you already enjoy a healthy green lawn, you may wish to use caution in initiating an aggressive grub treatment program.
Welcome Birds To Your Lawn Or Garden:
Birds are the natures best friend as they helps to keep it clean and tidy by eating up the wastes and harmful pesticides for plants. They also help to pollinate the plants around us.
Grub worms are one of the best foods of birds. If you find birds hanging around your lawn or flower gardens dont fools to exile them instead invite them more and more.
They will dig deep in the soil surface and eat the grubs. If you dig and clean up the grubs by yourself then spread the grubs on the lawn to welcome the birds. Thus in future there will be no grubs as the birds will hunt them.
Tips: Make use birds are only eating grubs not your plants.
Also Check: Old Lawn Mower Disposal
Grub Sprays Vs Granules
Several species of beetle larvae are categorized as white grubs. These all look similar and feed on the tender roots of turf. Their bodies are whitish or cream-colored and they curl into a characteristic “C” shape. Symptoms on the lawn appear as dead patches, although many insect pests and diseases can lead to these same issues. Once you’ve determined grubs are your problem, you have to make decisions regarding control — including whether you want granular or liquid insecticide.
Soapy Water Lawn Grubs
You can eliminate lawn grubs efficiently with the help of soapy water. Dawn dish soap is popularly used to eliminate grubs on the lawn.
Here are instructions on how to make the solution.
- Add 3 teaspoons of liquid soap to a gallon of water. Stir thoroughly to make a fine mixture.
- Spray this solution on the patches where the grass turned brown. Check to see if you eliminated them successfully.
- If they persist, treat the brown patches once more.
This works best when theres a small infestation in parts of the lawn. If grubs are devouring a large part of your lawn, this method might not be as efficient.
Tip: Add some lemon and mouthwash to make the solution more efficient.
Don’t Miss: Where To Buy Revive Lawn Treatment
How To Get Rid Of Lawn Grubs
If grubs have invaded your lawn, you have both all-natural options and chemical treatments to get rid of them. Well show you how.
Lawn grubs are pale white, squirmy larvae that can destroy your lawn from the ground up, munching on roots until your grass dies off. These pests are a natural part of the ecosystem, so if you just have a few, theres no need to worry. However, if youre finding a lot of grubs, you need to eliminate them immediately to avoid damage to your lawn.
How To Get Rid Of Grubs Naturally
If you are not attracted by synthetic treatments, use natural ones. Well share several popular methods with you.
1. Apply milky spore powder, i.e. natural bacteria that infect grubs when they feed on the infested lot. The powder is only effective against Japanese beetle. The product provides stable results regardless of weather conditions. However, the effect depends on the number of grubs on your lot, as the more there are, the faster the deadly grub disease spreads. Moderately irrigate the soil with water. In some cases, the grubs infected during late fall can survive until spring. They wont develop any more, though, and will eventually die.
2. Use neem oil, a natural insecticide made of the evergreen Indian tree. This organic biodegradable substance does not have any substantial side effects, as the Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Mix neem oil with water and spray damaged grass. The insects consume this insecticide as if it were a natural hormone. Once ingested, neem blocks real hormones and the pests forget how to eat, lay eggs or even fly. Even if they manage to lay some eggs, they wont hatch. At the same time, neem oil wont harm useful insects. In addition, it has a repelling effect as its presence and smell scares off the insects that consume leaves. It does not yield quick results, but in the long run, you will end up with a balanced environment.
Also Check: Where Are Cub Cadet Lawn Mowers Made
Using Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management is a natural pest control solution and process that uses beneficial insects and other biological solutions. Gardeners often choose these forms of pest control due to their lower environmental impact. Beneficial bacteria and diseases are alternative solutions for killing off white grubs long-term and protecting your lawn from infestations for years to come.
The Best Time To Treat For Grubs In Your Lawn
There are a lot of reasons why certain patches of grass dont grow very well, but one of the most common in Minnesota lawns is grubs . These harmful invaders lay their eggs in the dirt under your grass in the summer. Those eggs grow up and feed in the fall and spring. This cycle of feeding can be extremely harmful to the grass in your lawn. In this blog post, well discuss the best time to treat for Japanese beetles/grubs in your lawn. If you dont want to do the treatment yourself, let your local Minneapolis lawn care specialists help you by filling out a quote request.
Also Check: Where Are Cub Cadet Riding Mowers Made
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.
Essential Tools & Equipment Needed For Killing Grubs & Keeping Them Away
Contains affiliate links where I will receive a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.
- Spreader. You need this to apply the Merit or whatever grub killer you buy. If you go the cheap route . Get the Merit and do it right the first time.
- Add grass seed in bare spots after prepping first.
Read Also: How To Kill Wild Violet Weeds In Lawn
Signs You Have Lawn Grubs
There are certain signs to watch for to know if youre faced with a grub problem. First of all, you may have noticed other wildlife being attracted to your lawn. This wildlife activity in your yard likely indicates you have a grub worm problem. Animals, such as raccoons, skunks and birds, enjoy grubs as a main part of their diet. If youre serving up an assortment of tasty lawn grubs, then these creatures are going to get digging which can also cause damage to your grass.
Secondly, you will notice dying patches of grass in your yard that are easy to pull up by hand. This is a clear indicator the roots of the grass have been destroyed as these patches are no longer thriving in the soil. You may have previously attributed dry, dying patches of grass to under-watering or environmental conditions. However, it is likely a grub problem, which is very common in North America.
Your natural inclination when you notice lawn damage caused by grubs might be to rip up the patches of grass that are browning and replace them with new lawn turf. This is, however, not the correct or sustainable solution. You can instead simply treat this area of lawn with a pest control treatment and begin your lawn care regime again. Once the grubs have been killed by the pest control solution, this will promote root growth in the grass, and it will begin to heal and regrow.
Lawn Grubs: How And When To Kill Them
* Editorial Note: LawnStarter may receive a commission if you purchase certain products mentioned in this article.
Is there anything more damaging than grubs in your lawn?
Few admire their looks. But, before dismissing them as nothing but gross menaces, grubs the larval stage of certain adult beetles are common in lawns and do play a role in the natural order of things .
David Shetlar is a professor emeritus with a doctoral degree in entomology at The Ohio State University. Hes also co-author of the comprehensive guide Garden Insects of North America, plus other pest management tomes including Managing Turfgrass Pests.
Shetlar chuckled brightly when asked if lawn grubs, commonly called white grubs, play a positive part in a lawns ecosystem. Everybody says grubs eat the grass roots, he said, but theres more to them than that. White grubs are eating the accumulated thatch and organic matter thats in the top inch of the soil profile.
Theyre sort of natures de-thatchers, he added. But the problem is, theyre eating that thatch, they do eat the roots and the crowns , which kills the plant.
Its when these de-thatcher populations grow out of control that the dreaded lawn damage takes place.
Short on time and just want to kill some grubs? Here are our picks for the best grub killers.
Recommended Reading: How Do Lawn Care Companies Make Money In Winter
