If you thought grubs were just a problem in the spring, you may be in for a surprise. Late summer is when you find the new generation of lawn grubs in the ground and can be a big problem here in the North Shore area.
Where Do Grubs Come From?
Remember the Japanese and Chafer Beetles that were buzzing around and feeding on your roses, Cherry and Japanese Maple trees, and other plants a few weeks ago? They laid eggs in the soil of your lawn and planting beds starting in mid-July. Those eggs have hatched into the plump, C-shaped beetle larvae you are now seeing. You can learn more about grubs in Massachusetts here.
What If I Never Had Beetle Or Grub Problems Before?
You may still have grubs in your lawn because these adult beetles fly around and lay their eggs wherever they feel like it. You may have never had a grub problem in the past but that doesn’t mean they didn’t decide to lay their eggs in your soil this year.
The Grub Life Cycle
Beetles emerge from the soil in the spring and mate during the summer. They lay their eggs in the summer and a new generation of grubs are born. They feed on your root system creating dead patches of grass and attract rodents like skunks who start digging up your yard looking for these tasty treats. The grubs that survive dig deeper in the soil to hibernate during winter and come back in the spring, starting the cycle all over again.
What Can I Do About Them Now?
Controlling grubs by preventing them from causing damage to your lawn in the first place is always the best option. If you or your lawn care company put down a preventative grub treatment earlier in the year, those young grubs that are feeding now should start to die off as they ingest that insecticide. If you had a lawn care company apply preventative and you are seeing breakthrough grub damage, contact them to see what their policy is for follow up curative applications.
If you want to treat the grubs that are in your lawn right now yourself, the preventative products, typically some type of neonicotinoid, will not be effective against them. You will need to find a product that offers quick knockdown. Some of the common names of these products are Dylox and Bug B Gon.
Applying a curative treatment for active grubs is great but that may not solve the problem since not all the eggs hatch at the same time so you may have multiple generations of grubs appearing even after you treated the currently active grubs.
Get More Info From The Pros!
Looking for more information on grub control or just ready to let the professionals take over your lawn care needs? The Grassmaster Plus team is ready and willing to answer any questions you have and can provide you a free quote on your lawn care services for the season. Contact our local office today!