Grubs
Grubs are the larvae or immature stage of beetle-like insects such as June or May beetles. The grub feeds on the roots of
plants, including turf grasses, and therefore is not noticeable until damage to the lawn appears.
Damage Symptoms
Grubs will devour the turfgrass roots just below the soil surface. Irregularly-shaped patches of dead grass will appear, usually
in spring and fall, when populations of grubs are quite large. These patches are easily pulled up and will roll up like a carpet.
Skunk, racoon or mole damage, which usually appears before you realize you have a grub problem, can be quite devastating.
These animals will tear up large areas searching for grubs, usually during the evening hours.
Identification
The grubs have soft, white, curved bodies with large brown heads and six legs close to the head. Grubs will vary in size but
usually reach an inch and a half when fully grown. Grubs will feed during the summer after hatching from eggs laid by female
beetles in the soil. The grubs will burrow deeply into the soil as temperatures drop in the fall.
In the spring, when soil temperatures rise again, the grubs will come to within a few inches of the surface and feed again during
the summer. This second-year stage does the most damage. White grubs require 3 years to complete their life cycle. Usually
outbreaks of white grubs occur every 3 years and are caused by second-year grubs.
Control
In the past, residual chemicals provided protection for a number of years. However, these chemicals have ceased to be used
due to environmental concerns, and short-term controls must be applied whenever grubs are noticed. Early identification of a
problem may minimize damage – have your lawn sprayed as soon as possible.
For more information and a free consultation and estimate, please contact LAWN RANGERS today at 902-876-2739.