Lawn grubs are tiny animals that live in the soil and feed on grassroots, leaving your lawn brown and unattractive. Apart from damaging your lawn, the presence of these pests invites unwelcome wildlife that feeds on them – digging up patches of grass in your lawn in search of them.
Most of the grub worms come from Japanese beetles, which tend to lay their eggs in midsummer, in sunny lawn areas. To take care of a lawn with grub damage, you need to know how to detect grub worms and when to apply grub worm treatment.
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How to Identify Lawn with Grub Damage
Knowing how to identify grub worm damage is essential in treating them. You can see visible grub damage from late summer to early fall. Scan for irregular brown patches of lawn that peel away easily from the soil, like carpet.
To establish the extent of infestation or which parts require treatment, dig up small sections of lawn. Ideally, more than five grub worms per quarter square foot (0.02 sq.m.) warrant treatment and lawn grub control.
How to Treat Lawn With Grub Damage
Once you have detected a lawn with grub damage and treatment is necessary, you need to know when best to apply grub worm treatment. The most appropriate time to treat the lawn with grub damage is in early fall or late summer, while the grub worms are still small and close to the surface.
During spring, grub worms are too large and no longer feeding, making them less susceptible to treatment. Because of this, insecticides are less effective. Additionally, spring rains make this difficult since applications may be washed away.
When selecting insecticides for lawn grubs, consider the various types available. For fall treatment, Dylox is an excellent fast-acting choice available. Nonetheless, two products worth your consideration to use early in the season are Merit and Mach-2. They can help you in prevention since they target the pests before laying their eggs, killing them before an infestation occurs.
If you prefer a more natural treatment for a lawn with grub damage, several options are available for you. All of these are considered safe and effective. They include the following:
- Milky spore: This bacterium can effectively treat the lawn with grub damage. Additionally, it is friendly to the environment. You can apply the spores to the affected areas in your lawn, infecting lawn grubs as they feed. Once the grubs die and decompose, additional spores are released into the soil, which helps prevent further infestations.
- Neem oil: This botanical pesticide has insecticidal properties. Neem oil functions more as a repellent against lawn grubs and Japanese beetles – hindering egg-laying, growth, and feeding. You can make a mixture of neem oil and water then spray it onto affected lawn areas.
- Beneficial nematodes: These are tiny, soil-dwelling worms that release bacteria into the soil, infecting and killing lawn grubs. You can purchase them in liquid form or mixed with water, then spray them onto the affected areas of your lawn.
Here is a list of preventive products you may consider:
- Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer Granules – Granular cyfluthrin 0.05% and imidacloprid 0.15%. For optimum results, apply between June 1 and July 15.
- Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer Liquid attach-to-hose-bottle cyfluthrin 0.36% and imidacloprid 0.72%. For best results, apply between June 1 and July 15.
- Premium Grub Control (Do not confuse with “Premium Insect Control”) imidacloprid 0.2% – Granular
- Bayer Advanced Season- Long Grub Control and Turf Revitalizer – Granular imidacloprid 0.25% and a low fertilizer rate (6-0-1). For best results, apply between June 1 and July 15.
- Bayer Advanced Season – Long Grub Control (or Bayer Advanced Merit) – Granular imidacloprid 0.25%. For best results, apply between June 1 and July 15.
- Scotts Grub-Ex – Granular chlorantraniliprole 0.08%. Apply for best results between April 1 and May 30 (no later than July 15).
Best Curative Products
- Bayer Advanced 24 hr Grub Killer Plus – Granular trichlorfon 9.3%. Apply in spring or fall to active grubs.
- Sevin Lawn Insect Granules – Granular carbaryl 2.0%. Apply in September or October to active grubs.
Once you know how to identify a lawn with grub damage and how to get rid of grub worms, you will be better positioned to treat the problem more effectively.
