Is something ” bugging” your lawn? They bugs just may be those pesky grubs, the white kind!
How do you know if your lawn problem is actually grubs? Simple! Grubs have a white “C” shaped body, brown head and 6 legs on the upper half of the body.
Grubs lay their eggs in the lawn late June and hatch into Grubs late July. They feed on the roots of your lawn from late July to August and continue feeding and growing right through fall. After the fall the Grubs will burrow below the frost line till the end of winter so you will actually never get rid of them. As soon as the ground starts to defrost and warm they will start feeding again.
There are many related problems with Grubs. Raccoons and skunks love to feed on them. If you don’t here those pesky wildlife creatures when they are feeding you will definitely see the damage they have caused in the morning. Your lawn will be ripped up every night during the spring months.
If you start noticing patches of brown, dead grass this is a sure indication that the Grubs have fed and consumed the root system of your lawn.
Grubs will feed and grown until mid May, they then develop into their final form the beetle. The adult beetle emerges mid June, mates and then the females return to the soil to lay their eggs so the cycle will begin all over again.
Predatory nematodes are a great way to biologically control white grubs. To use these nematodes you must keep your soil moist and closely follow the instructions, don’t forget that nematodes are living organisms.
Treat the entire lawn, don’t attempt to spot treat the lawn. Make sure to water the lawn thorought after each application. Another important factor is that the youger the grubs are the easier they are to control. The best time to apply is mid July to August and September. During this time period the grubs are small and near the soil surface.
