Do you have grubs in your yard? Grubs are a common pest in Western North Carolina, and many lawns are affected every year by them. Grubs are the larvae of June bugs, which are a common sight in gardens and lawns across the southeast. While grubs don’t come up to the surface and feed on established plants, they do eat the roots of many plants and grasses and can decimate a lawn incredibly quickly. So how do you know you have grubs in your lawn? Keep reading below for signs and treatment of these pests!
• Yellowing, spongy turf.
Although yellowing grass and soft turf can be indicators of many different lawn fungi and pests, one of the surefire ways to tell if you have grubs are these two symptoms. If you try to lift the grass, it will easily roll back like it does when you’ve laid fresh sod down. If left untreated, grubs can ruin a lawn very quickly which is not only ugly, but costly to repair as well.
• You start noticing a variety of wildlife in your yard, such as racoons, skunks, birds, and other animals digging up your yard to get to the grubs.
Many animals love to dine on grubs and if there’s an infestation in your yard, you’ll likely see these new guests eating their fill.
• You notice June bugs on your ornamental and garden plants.
If you see the adults of this species, there’s a good chance they’re reproducing and contributing to the grub problem you may be experiencing in your lawn.
• This may seem obvious, but seeing grubs in your yard when you’re digging up plants or holes to put plants in definitely means you’ve got grubs.
Chances are that if you’re actually seeing them, the infestation may be pretty severe, and needs to be treated as soon as possible to prevent total destruction of your yard and turf.
• You notice severe turf damage, bouncy, spongy patches of grass that are turning yellow or brown or total detachment of your grass and plants.
So, now you see that you’ve got grubs. Now, what do you do about it? Fortunately, not all is lost and there are options to help prevent, reduce, and eliminate the incidence of grubs.
Prevention and Treatment:
• Taking proper, general care of your lawn may help reduce not only grub infections, but other pest and lawn diseases as well.
By choosing healthy grass, native plants, not overwatering, underwatering, and responsibly using pesticides (preferably natural options first such as Milky Spore) on your lawn, you may be able to reduce the occurrence of grubs.
• Milky spore application.
Milky spore is a fungal infection that only targets grubs and similar invasive species and has been used since the 1940s for grub control. It works by the grub ingesting the spores, which then take an inside out approach and essentially liquifies the grub, which kills them. It takes some time to start working, but once treatment has been applied, the grub population will decline over time, and your lawn will be protected for 10-20 years. For the best results, it should be applied in the fall, and you have to apply it to your entire lawn. Once applied, you’ll need to water it in and let it get to work. Learn more about Milky Spore by clicking here.
• Be mindful of your pesticide usage and type.
Not all insecticides are created equal, and some pesticides are ineffective on grubs. Check your labels or consult with a lawn care professional about grub control, such as TPS Landscaping. To learn more about our grub control and turf-care programs, click here!
Grubs are a part of life for many homeowners, but they can be effectively managed and treated, and you can get your lush, gorgeous lawn and garden back by tackling the problem!