Lawn Grubs? Take Control!

Lawn grubs, often called white grubs, are the immature form of different scarab beetles, such as Japanese beetles, June “bugs” (beetles) or the European chafers. These white, C-shaped creatures have soft bodies with legs near the head. They feed on grass roots (and organic matter in the soil), causing sections of grass in the lawn to die. Grubs eventually turn into adult beetles and emerge from soil to mate and lay eggs, which hatch into more grubs.

Typically grubs operate a few inches below the soil surface, but burrow deeper (up to 8 inches in northernmost areas) before winter arrives. As your lawn greens up in spring, keep an eye out for brown patches that never turn green. Those dead patches may be due to grub feeding that occurred the previous fall. To check, lift a piece of your turf. If grubs are the culprit, the dead patch will roll up like a carpet, or you’ll be able to pull up the grass and see that it has no roots. If birds, skunks, armadillos, raccoons or moles are tearing up your lawn – they eat grubs and are trying to uncover them. Scout a lawn by digging several sections of sod 1 foot square and 2 to 4 inches deep. If grubs are present and feeding, you’ll see them in soil. A healthy lawn can easily support a grub population of zero to five grubs –and possibly as many as nine per square foot, but more than 10 grubs per square foot will likely create visible damage to a lawn and need to be treated.

In early April treat your lawn with Bayer Complete Insect Control. Most important is to apply BioAdvanced Season Long Grub Control Plus Turf Revitalizer in mid to late August, as this is when grubs are most active. It contains a patented 2-in-1 formula which kills grubs all season long plus promotes strong roots and thicker turf. Water in pesticides after application. Watering moves the pesticide down toward soil and also encourages moisture-loving grubs to move upward.