Our phones have rung off the hook from customers worried about grubs they are finding in their lawn and landscape while doing their spring planting. Today’s quick tip will give you all the info you need to combat grub worms in your yard.
Grub worms are the larvae of June beetles and they can wreak havoc to North Texas lawns. 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 on the root system of your grass. The problem is you often can’t see this 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.
Late spring is the time to treat for grub worms, which you do by using Imidacloprid. I 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 a 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. If you are going to do it yourself you should apply a preventative treatment in about a month.
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 me what they should do when they see grubs in their lawn or landscape 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 anytime but late summer in our area.) That is why you need to treat for them in June.
If you have any lawn and landscape related questions or need more help don’t hesitate to contact us at 972-495-6990 or [email protected]. I’d be happy to answer any of your questions.