Grub worms, which are the larvae of June beetles, can wreak havoc to North Texas lawns as we move into late summer. They destroy your lawn by feeding on grass roots, leaving a carpet of grass that will stay green for a short time after the damage is already done, but will soon die (or get sucked up in the lawnmower the next time your grass is cut which happens more than most people realize.) The good news is that NOW is the time to treat for grub worms and today’s blog entry will give you all the information you need to win the battle.
Grub worms have a three year life cycle. In our area the beetle lay its eggs in late spring to early summer, with the grub emerging in a few weeks. They start feeding pretty much instantly, as we’ve said, on the root system of your grass. The problem is you often can’t see the damage until it already done because the carpet of grass that no longer has a good root system will stay green a short time after the roots are gone. Another problem with grubs is that armadillos love to eat them, and if you have them around, they’ll start digging up your lawn to feed on the grubs causing even more damage.
That is why you need Imidacloprid. We know that’s a tough name to remember (let alone say) but you need to make sure that is the active ingredient if you are treating for grubs. Don’t pick up the first bag of Ortho or Bayer with an easier name that has a picture of grub. Read the labels and make sure you get a product that has Imidacloprid which will create a barrier that prevents the grub worm from damaging your lawn.
It is important to remember that Imidacloprid is a great preventative against grub worms, which means it is NOT effective once they are actively feeding, so the time to apply is NOW. If you are going to do it yourself you should apply a preventative treatment within the next couple of weeks. If you are busy and don’t want to mess with it yourself contact Village Green today for a FREE estimate on treating your lawn.
People often ask us what they should do when they see grubs in their lawn in spring? Does it mean they are feasting on my lawn early? The answer is no. You’d be hard pressed to find a lawn in our area that doesn’t have some grub worms. They only become an issue with their numbers grow to the point where they can cause widespread destruction in late summer (it is impossible for them to grow their numbers to the point of damaging your lawn in anytime but late summer in our area.)