Controlling Grubs: Your Fall Options

Quick- if someone asked you the biggest threat to your lawn, what would you answer? Would you say a winter snow storm? Perhaps you would say not fertilizing it. In fact, the answer is grubs. Lawn Grubs, often called White Grubs, are the immature form of different Scarab Beetles. Japanese Beetles, June “bugs” (beetles), or the European Chafers all begin as grubs and wreak havoc on your yard. These white, C-shaped creatures have soft bodies with legs near the head. They feed on grass roots and organic matter in the soil. This causes 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. It’s a vicious cycle that you want to stop before it moves forward! But, how?

Before we answer that, let’s learn a little bit more about your new enemy. Most Scarab Beetles have a one-year life cycle. Timing varies by Beetle species and region, but generally adults emerge from soil, mate, and lay eggs over the course of two to three weeks in early to midsummer. Eggs hatch about two weeks after being laid, in mid-to late summer. The new generation of root-munching pests begins feasting immediately after hatching. In the Fall, these eggs hatch into new Grubs which feed on your grass roots. This means the destruction of your lawn is happening right now! Peak feeding occurs in early fall. Typically, the pests operate a few inches below the soil surface and burrow deeper before winter’s freezing temperatures arrive. Once the current generation of Grubs eat your grass roots and get old enough to mate, the cycle begins all over again.

As your lawn greens up in spring, keep an eye out for brown patches that never turn green. Pay special attention to irregularly-shaped dead patches that appear in your well-irrigated lawn in late summer or early fall. Those dead patches may be due to Grub feeding. If you see this, contact Land Pro Landscaping right away. You don’t want the cycle to move forward any longer!

Immature Grubs are most susceptible to pesticides while young. This means the best way to combat a grub infestation is by applying pesticides while newly hatched Grubs are feeding in the Fall. You’ll want a curative product that kills existing pests on contact. You may also want to speak to our landscaping experts about a preventative pesticide that kills Grubs over a longer period of time, including those that are present at the time of treatment as well as those that hatch during the season of application. Because this course of action contains nitrogen fertilizer, it’s important to keep your lawn irrigated after the application to avoid burning grass and more brown spots.

Remember, we’re here to help fight off your Grub infestation. You don’t need to go to battle alone!