Controlling Lawn Grubs: Identification and Prevention

Immature, and in their larvae stage, lawn grubs are c-shaped worms of several species of beetles such as June bugs and chafers, that emerge in the spring and summer. These lawn grubs have the ability to damage your lawn by feeding on the grass roots and eating away the nutrients from the organic matter in the soil, making your lawn appear brown, dry, and wilted.

The presence of lawn grubs is evident mostly during Spring and your well-irrigated lawn may show irregularly-shaped dead patches in late summer or early fall. The experts of Edenapp recommend applying the preventive treatment on time since lawn grubs are most susceptible to pesticides when they are in their immature or larvae stage. Aerating your lawn, adequately watering the seeds to establish roots, reseeding your lawn, and removing loose and dead patches of lawn are some of the treatments you must adhere to when you suspect lawn grubs in your lawn. 

What are the Causes of Lawn Grubs?

The larvae of the Japanese beetles and the northern masked chafer are the most destructive lawn grubs and there are several factors that increase your lawn’s vulnerability towards these grubs and other common grubs. Excessive use of chemicals is one of those factors. Overuse of chemicals in your lawn not only affects its healthy growth but also ill-treats the natural, beneficial insects present in the soil, making your lawn more prone to  pest infestations. Birds or diversity of wildlife also controls the grub population. If your lawn lacks the presence of diverse plants or it does not support wildlife, then the turfgrass and plants in your yard suffer more damage than the landscape that receives birds who inspect the soil for grubs  and kill them. Bear in mind that the quality and fertility of the soil matters here. The soil being compact or infertile indicates the lack of natural insects that are beneficial to the ecosystem. This leads the grubs to feed in this shallow zone, leaving intensive damage. 

Discolored, irregular patches of dead turf and stressed yard with patchy areas of wilting are some of the lawn problems you may come across if you suspect grubs in certain areas of your yard. 

When do Lawn Grubs Appear?

Warm weather is the hot spot of lawn grubs. They embrace the warmer months of the year, starting from early spring. They feed on your lawn during the early spring (probably the start of march) when the conditions are favorable before they pupate in mid-May or June. The damage they have caused can be soon witnessed from mid-September to November. These root-munching pests burrow deep in the soil (upto 8 inches) before winter arrives. And they again emerge and feed when they feel the soil is warm and the conditions favorable for them. 

What are the Signs of Lawn Grub Problems?

Identifying lawn grubs by their c-shaped bodies and orange coloured head is not much of a challenge. But it is worth noting that the identification is not that easy if they are nowhere to be found and your lawn is already stressed. Edenapp recommends understanding the signs of having lawn grubs in your lawn so that you can spot the problem early and treat it accordingly to retrieve your green, lush lawn. 

• Consider looking for irregular brown patches throughout your lawn.
• Birds and local wildlife will be more interested in your lawn than other yards in your neighborhood since they feed on lawn grubs.  
• Try pulling out the grass in your lawn. If the grass pulls out effortlessly with no roots attached then assume that lawn grubs have attacked your yard. 
• You may find beetles flying around your lawn, especially females scouting for a place to lay their eggs.

How can You Treat Grubs in the Lawn?

Understand that a healthy lawn like yours can handle a couple of grubs in its soil. But it’s really important to know how many grubs are currently feeding in your yard to determine the treatment options. More than 6 to 9 grubs reflect the need for effective treatment. 

Just like identification of the pests and their impact on your lawn is essential, early intervention is also vital to protect the rest of your healthy yard. While watering after applying pesticides helps to move the chemical toward soil, reseeding can assist in repairing dead lawn patches. The exterminators of Edenapp have laid down a number of treatments or methods that can be followed to get rid of lawn grubs. 

Spray treatments provide an array of insecticides that can be helpful when it comes to getting rid of lawn grubs. Sprays can be mostly of two types – fast-acting sprays and guard sprays. While the former can combat an existing infestation, the latter prevents grubs from laying their eggs, hence killing any possibility of infestation from its roots. 

Other than using the spray treatment, you can always turn towards insecticides available in sand granulated form. When distributed over the lawn or to certain areas of lawn will kill grubs upon impact. However, before using a spray bottle or any insecticide, consider checking the instructions of the chemical that you are about to use and whether it is the right choice for your lawn type.  

Edenapp also recommends using natural treatments if you don’t wish to risk your lawn’s health with chemical alternatives. Introducing nematodes is one of those natural options. Nematodes have the ability to feed on the lawn grubs when they are young in order to eliminate them before they can impose further disruption to your lawn. 

Neem oil and milky sore are some of the other natural tools that Edenapp suggests using to get rid of the grubs and prevent infestation.

What Products can be Used to Control Lawn Grubs?

The use of granular chlorantraniliprole, trichlorfon, granular imidacloprid, and granular cyfluthrin are some of the chemicals that are present in the lawn grub preventive products in the exact proportions that help in killing and preventing lawn grubs. 

Below are some of the best grub control products that can effectively solve your grub issue.

• Dylox 6.2 Granular Insecticide – This is effective for the killing and  prevention of white grubs (and larvae), armyworms, june bugs, among others. Dylox includes trichlorfon and instantly kills the grubs on application but degrades quickly after watering. Also there is no restriction of using Dylox in turf species or sites. 
• Ortho BugClear Lawn Insect Killer – This broad-spectrum insect killer protects your lawn from the surface and below the ground. This particular insecticide comes with an active ingredient Bifenthrin (0.115 %) that helps in treating lawn grubs. You just need to spread the granules on the infested lawn area and water them in. This process will lead the grubs to die within hours. Along with your lawn, you can also use this product in flower beds and vegetable gardens.
• Bayer 24 Hour Grub Killer Plus – This grub killer product also comes with trichlorfon as its active ingredient. The product, though, comes with few instructions, one of which includes watering the lawn within 24 hours of application. In Summer, you will probably notice grubs damaging your beautiful lawn. Hence, when visible, apply the product as instructed on the label. Bayer, Ortho, and BioAdvanced are some of the popular brands that provide varied effective products which can kill and prevent grubs from your lawn. 

When is the Best Time to Apply Grub Killer?

As mentioned earlier, one of the products is recommended by Edenapp to be used during Summers when the grubs or the grub problem is visible. But the issue only gets intense in Summer. The root of the problem starts to emerge during early Spring. Therefore, the best time of applying grub killer in your lawn is between early Spring and late Summer. 

Now the best time to apply the grub killer also depends on whether you want to prevent grubs or kill the ones already damaging your lawn. 

Most grubs have a life cycle that leads them to form Japanese beetles, European chafers, etc,. Bear in mind that the larvae go dormant during winter and emerge when Spring season arrives. You may notice the signs of grub damage from early spring which is when you need to prevent the grubs by applying grub control during April, May, and in early Spring. But when you come across patches of brown and dead grass, you must employ a grub killer to get rid of them. 

To determine the right time to apply grub killer to your lawn, you can also look for these signs of lawn damage due to grubs. 

• Irregular patches of brown, dying grass.
• You are able to pull out the grass quite effortlessly. 
• The grass has no roots. 
• You have noticed 10 or more grubs per square foot of your turfgrass. This sign immediately states that your lawn is infested with lawn grubs. 

In addition to all of this, also consider the region or locality where your lawn resides when you plan on applying the grub killer or grub control. 

How can You Prevent Lawn Grubs?

The phrase ‘prevention is better than cure’ is prevalent and universal for a reason. Killing lawn grubs can be easily employed, but controlling and preventing grubs using a grub control product will keep your lawn in its best shape. 

The application of preventative treatments should be done prior to the hatching of grub eggs. This way you will be able to control the situation before it gets worse. At this stage, the preventive product will be able to kill the grubs in their initial stage before they can do any form of damage. Edenapp recommends using products like Merit 0.5 G Insecticide Granules and Dylox 420 SL Insecticide for any preventive treatments. 

You can also consider reducing the possibility of eggs laid by adult beetles by controlling the population of these adult beetles in your lawn. The control measure may differ depending on the type of beetle you are dealing with but Edenapp suggests using Triple Crown T&O Insecticide or Talstar P Professional Insecticide to control egg-laying adult beetles.

The experts of Edenapp also prepared a number of precautions for you so that you understand the intensity of the situation and the ways you can control them. 

• Read the instructions of the label carefully since some grub preventive products may not be appropriate for your garden beds, vegetable gardens or your plants. 
• Avoid any contact of the product with skin, eyes, or clothing.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after handling such insecticides. 
• Keep your pets and/or children away from the treated area, at least until it’s dry. 

How should You Maintain Your Lawn to Control the Lawn Grubs?

Lawn care is essential to achieve an aesthetically pleasing healthy lawn. The maintenance of a yard or lawn goes beyond irrigation and mowing. While the lawn maintenance involves aeration so that your soil can breathe and it also needs pests control to protect the green, lush turfgrass or plants. 

Engaging with lawn maintenance and professionals  Immature and in their larvae stage, lawn grubs are c-shaped worms of several species of beetles, such as June bugs and chafers, that emerge in the Spring and Summer. These lawn grubs have the ability to damage your lawn by feeding on the grassroots and eating away the nutrients from the organic matter in the soil, making your lawn appear brown, dry, and wilted.

The presence of lawn grubs is evident mostly during Spring, and your well-irrigated lawn may show irregularly-shaped dead patches in late summer or early fall. The experts of Edenapp recommend applying the preventive treatment on time since lawn grubs are most susceptible to pesticides when they are in their immature or larvae stage. Aerating your lawn, adequately watering the seeds to establish roots, reseeding your lawn, and removing loose and dead patches of lawn are some of the treatments you must adhere to when you suspect lawn grubs in your lawn.