Neonicotinoids are systemic and are absorbed by the grass, killing grubs not on contact but rather when they feed on the roots of plants that have been treated. If the average count is between five and 10, whether or not to control depends on the health of your lawn, your tolerance for damage to the lawn, and the presence of natural controls. As their larvae go through different stages of development, they eventually reach the stage where their damage is most visible. These are the larvae of Japanese and June beetles, as well as Chafers. Don’t worry about the spring stage where large grubs do a quick spring feeding before becoming beetles. Depending on the size of your lawn, you may want to scout for grubs in several places in the lawn. During the late summer and early fall, you may begin to notice lawns turning an unattractive shade of brown in certain unsightly, dying patches. Avoid treating in spring as the mature grubs have buried deep in soil and hard to reach with chemicals. They will continue to eat and grow until mid-fall, when they move deeper in the soil so they can survive through the winter. You may know, Is It Too Late to Treat for Grubs, if you have learned when the right period to treat grubs. The two types of curative pesticides you can use are carbaryl and trichlorfon (sold under the brand name Dylox). Grub Prevention Treatment. In most cases, whether it’s early spring or fall, it’s preferable to simply wait until the next appropriate window for using a preventative product that gets better results and is more targeted. Bayer’s 24 hour Grub Killer Plus is formulated to work overnight while killing on contact. These chemicals and the products they’re in all require slightly different application timing in order to control the grubs while they’re active. Spring Stage-In spring the grub is hungry and goes to the root zone of … Grubs, or grub worms, are a common pest problem that affects lawns. Answers to common questions about grubs in the home lawn, Infoline Program Coordinator; Hillsborough County Office Co-Administrator, Copyright © 2021 University of New Hampshire, TTY Users: 7-1-1 or 800-735-2964 (Relay NH), Over-seeding bare or sparse areas in the spring or fall (preferred), current insecticide approaches for white grubs, Invasive in the Spotlight: Multiflora Rose. Later stages can be more difficult to control and significant turf damage may have already occurred. Later in the summer, the grubs hatch and immediately begin to feed. Rather, techniques like crop rotation, tilling, and handpicking are better options. There are also several preventative products that include both a neonicotinoid and a pyrethroid, which provides control not only for grubs but also caterpillars, billbugs, and some other lawn insect pests. If you have a very high concentration of grubs – 10 or more grubs per square foot – treatment may be necessary to maintain healthy grass. White grubs are the larval stage of various beetles, including cinch bugs and June beetles. Since these larger April/May grubs … That all said, if you do have grubs and animals are digging for them in the lawn, that can be detrimental to the health of your turf and to the appearance of your yard. Dylox 6.2 G. Mechanical spreader. Overseed the bare or thin spots. Indications For Your Lawn Treatment. If you have a severe grub infestation and want to use a chemical product to control grubs, you have a number of widely available options. Look for irregular brown patches of lawn that peel away easily from the soil, like carpet. Milky spore is a common grub treatment, but it will only affect Japanese beetle white grubs. Grubs, also called grub worms are the larvae of beetles. Before applying any insecticides, the lawn should be mowed prior to application so there aren’t weeds flowering in the lawn while the product is being applied. When the soil warms up again in the spring, the large, mature grubs move back into the upper soil levels, where they transform into adult beetles that emerge in early summer and start the whole process over again. These animals feed on other insects in the lawn, like earthworms, which are beneficial to the health of the lawn. Treat grub "hot spots" determined by observation or sampling. A grub infestation will cause patches of thinning turf, and these patches will gradually increase in size. Severe damage to turf may have already occurred by September. April 12, 2009 By Tech Support Leave a Comment. When you’ve gone through and determined for certain that you have grubs and need to treat, you can use a curative pesticide that will kill grubs almost immediately. This time of year (late summer and fall), only curative products can be used to effectively control grub populations. Whether you are just starting out, maintaining or troubleshooting, you'll find advice and answers here for all your lawn care needs. Some species of nematodes only control certain species of grubs, so just like with milky spore, identifying what species of grubs you have is important. This is especially important if you’ve had problems with grubs in the past. However, they only work if used in the lawn in June and July. Always check the root zone of affected areas for the c-shaped grubs. Milkweed is taking over my perennial garden. Raccoons, skunks, armadillos, or birds are digging up your yard. Preventative grub control can save you a lot of money in the long run. Applying a preventative grub control product in the spring or early summer will provide much better grub control than waiting until after the damage has occurred. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a perennial plant... University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension When and How to Apply Grub Worm Treatment. However, if you have a lower count of grubs, yet aren’t seeing good results in your lawn, that’s a clue that you should revisit your lawn care practices more broadly. The best treatment for these grubs is a chemical called “Imidacloprid”. It is very easy to not notice them until it is too late. In the early spring, for example, many homeowners suspect grub damage because of the condition of their lawn after snow melt. By September, white grubs are fully-grown and are harder to kill. Help! The U.S. EPA designates this chemical as a low risk pesticide due to its low toxicity to bees and other beneficial insects. Replace the grass you’ve cut in short order to avoid any damage to the lawn. There are several types of insecticides labeled for the treatment of grubs. If nematodes are being used curatively, they may need to be applied every 2 weeks until the infestation subsides. Certainly there could be many reasons for lawns browning, especially in late summer when most grub damage occurs. Most severe injury to plants is caused by large (third stage or instar) grubs feeding on roots in the fall and spring. A biological treatment method, useful against only Japanese beetle grubs, is the application of milky spore bacteria. Ingredients such as carbaryl, trichlorfon or zeta-cypermethrin are curative and work on contact with grubs. As someone said, “It’s the kids that are always the problem.” If grubs are found in the fall, we recommend treatment in the fall to minimize damage. Used at the first sign of grubs, this product should be thoroughly watered in after application. The key to controlling grubs is to kill them before they hatch and begin to cause damage to your lawn. Timing of the Treatment for Grubs Makes all the Difference. Call toll free at 1-877-398-4769, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or e-mail us at answers@unh.edu. Use Milky Spore. If you treat for grubs in the spring, you must realize that another treatment may be necessary in the fall. This happens 
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