Have you noticed dead patches of grass popping up around your lawn? While summer heat, over-watering, and turf disease could be causing it, it’s likely something else. A disgusting slimy grub worm. In this article, I’m going to show you how you can confirm that it’s grub worms destroying your lawn and how to get rid of them, guaranteed, using the four-step process.
Grubs are the larvae of a variety of beetles that live underground in the soil beneath our grass. Grub worms actually feed off the grassroots and can cause extensive damage to your lawn’s root system. This affects your grass’s ability to absorb water and nutrients, leaving it too weak to fend off summer heat and turf disease.
Sometimes damage can be so great that you could pull the grass up like a carpet. If you’ve noticed brown patches in the yard, then you’ll want to get control immediately. So we’ll start with the first step of our process.
Step 1. Identification
Identification is one of the most important steps in pest control. It would help if you were certain that what’s killing your lawn is grub worms. Your grass could be dying from a turf disease, or it could be a different pest damaging the grass. If you aren’t sure it’s grub worms and treat them anyway, you could waste time and money.
The grub can vary in size from three-eights of an inch to two inches in length. It is soft, thick, and has a white body. They’re frequently, but not always, curled like the letter C.
Important characteristics of grubs are their well-developed heads and their legs. Grubs will have brownish heads with large mandibles. They will also have three pairs of legs near their head. The presence of the legs will help you distinguish grubs over other larval pests. Don’t forget to learn more and get your professional pesticides for grub control.
Step 2. Inspection
Inspection is a crucial step because you need to recognize the signs of grub worm activity and know-how and where to look. If you don’t properly treat the right spots, then you could leave your lawn unable to defend itself. First, check your damaged grass, pay attention to those scattered irregular patches of dead turf.
We recommend using a shovel to dig a square-foot about three inches deep because the grubs live in the soil beneath the grass. Finding a couple of grubs is normal. But if you spot more than five grubs in that square foot patch, then treatment is necessary; when you’re done, pack the sod back down with water to help the grass from drying out.
As mentioned earlier, groves are the larvae of different beetles, such as June bugs, Japanese beetles, and May beetles. What happens is they hatch in late summer and begin feeding. When the winter rolls in, they tunnel deep into the ground to hibernate, re-emerging to feed in spring before maturing and pupating into beetles, where the process starts with a new generation. So if you’re seeing a lot of adult beetle activity, especially in the summer months, this could be a sign that grubs are nearby. For more inspection tips and our in-depth grub control guide, click the links in the description below.
Step 3. Controlling
The third step in the process is controlled. Because grubs hatch in late summer, August and September are the peak times for grub activity. This is the best time to treat your yard. The newly hatched grubs will be closer to the ground surface feeding on the grass, so they’ll be more likely to come in contact with the pesticides. They’ll also be weaker and more susceptible to treatments. You can use either a granular pesticide like Imidacloprid 0.5G.
You can choose whichever is easier for you to apply. We recommend Dominion 2L because it will penetrate deep down into the soil where the grubs will be hiding after being mixed with water. Dominion 2L is also a systemic insecticide, meaning it will work its way through this root system of your lawn. Grubs will be exposed to the pesticide when they’re feeding on the roots.
About Dominion Product
Dominion 2L also has up to three months residual and will treat more than just grubs. It can be used to control other turf pests like Chinch bugs, ornamental pests like aphids, and even wood-destroying insects like termites and carpenter ants. Use Dominion 2L with the hose and sprayer following label instructions.
Using a hose and sprayer is ideal because you want to make sure there’s enough water to carry the Dominion down deep into the soil where the grubs will be. Broadcast the Dominion over your entire lawn, making a nice even coat. We recommend aiming for about a gallon of water per thousand square feet, and make sure you stay off the treated area until it dries.
About Imidacloprid granules
You can also use the Imidacloprid granules. This is also a good option because, like the Dominion 2L, these granules will help control various larval and turf pests and are also systemic. Load the granules into a spreader following the label directions. Broadcast the granules over the entire yard. Like the Dominion 2L, the granules need to be soaked into the turf for best results, so water the lawn thoroughly after application to drive the granules down. Again, choose whichever product is easier for you to apply.
But for heavy or repeat infestations, you might want to apply both products. Get these products today by clicking the icon in the top right corner, where you can easily find each of these products. We will also have links to these and the equipment down in the description below.
Step 4. Prevention
The fourth step in our process is prevention. Prevent grubs and beetles from returning by regularly maintaining your yard. Mow your grass at the right height, properly water your lawn, and fertilize your lawn in the fall.
Manually watering your lawn takes a lot of time and energy, which you might not have on certain days. That’s why many homeowners use sprinkler systems to water their lawn and plants. When designing your landscape, include the irrigation system in the design. Ensure that your sprinklers have powerful Rain Bird 5000 Plus Rotors that reach every corner of your lawn and provide enough water to every grass. This will strengthen the turf’s roots and resist injury from grubs. And apply Dominion 2L or Imidacloprid granules every three months for long-lasting control.
That’s the Solutions four-step process and eliminating grubs in your lawn. Keep your lawn healthy; good luck!
