Grubs thrive in a lawn that’s devoid of beneficial nematodes. Artificial fertilizers kill beneficial nematodes. Grubs are also attracted to wet lawns in the summer.
Grubs are not only ugly, but they also cause great damage to a lawn. You need to get rid of them as soon as you notice the early signs.
How do you identify grub presence in your lawn early? How to get rid of grubs naturally? Are there any pet-safe ways to achieve this?
I try to answer all such questions in this article. So, be with me till the end, and hopefully, you get what you came for.
Why do Lawns get Grubs?
Lawn Grubs find a place in lawns that have suitable conditions for their growth. Lawn grubs proliferate if the lawn’s wet in June/July.
Lawn Grubs are also known to like Ryegrasses. They can attack any lawn, but they multiply only when the lawn’s suitable to them.
Identifying their presence is crucial if you want to have an upper hand on the pests. Let’s see what the signs are.
How do I know if I have lawn grubs?
- Visible signs of grubs appear in the late summer/early fall. Areas of the affected lawn go thin and turn yellow.
- Dry and dead patches appear on the lawn if the infestation is severe. This usually happens in the fall/spring seasons.
- The grass feels spongy and you can pull it up easily.
What attracts Grubs to your Lawn?
Beetles lay their eggs on the lawn in the spring season. Grubs are attracted to wet lawns in July/June. A wet lawn is suitable for laying eggs.
It is found that they are attracted to Perennial ryegrass. Beetles lay their eggs one/two inches below the grass layer.
Best treatment for Grubs in Lawn
Treating lawn grubs with a soapy solution is the best way to get rid of them. You can also use Zeus insecticide, Scott’s insecticide, and Provado insecticides that are labeled for grubs.
Soapy water Lawn Grubs
You can eliminate lawn grubs efficiently with the help of soapy water. Dawn dish soap is popularly used to eliminate grubs on the lawn.
Here are instructions on how to make the solution.
- Add 3 teaspoons of liquid soap to a gallon of water. Stir thoroughly to make a fine mixture.
- Spray this solution on the patches where the grass turned brown. Check to see if you eliminated them successfully.
- If they persist, treat the brown patches once more.
This works best when there’s a small infestation in parts of the lawn. If grubs are devouring a large part of your lawn, this method might not be as efficient.
Tip: Add some lemon and mouthwash to make the solution more efficient.
Does Laundry Detergent kill lawn grubs?
Yes, Laundry Detergent can kill lawn grubs. Mix some amount of laundry detergent in an ample amount of water to make a solution.
Spray this solution on the affected areas of the lawn. You’ll see grubs coming onto the surface, they’ll die eventually.
This solution is not harmful to your lawn but is a good way to eliminate pesky lawn grubs.
Zeus insecticide for Lawn Grubs
Zeus insecticide that contains Bifenthrin as the active chemical can control lawn grubs efficiently. It can control other types of insects too.
Zeus insecticide is a broad-spectrum insecticide. So, it is worth keeping this insecticide in the storeroom.
Scotts lawn builder grub and insect killer
Scotts GrubEx1 Season Long Grub Killer helps to eliminate lawn grubs and other types of insects that infest the lawn.
This insecticide kills more types of grubs than the original GrubEx. This product is safe to use in a lawn that is visited by pets.
Chafer Grub lawn damage
Chafer grubs are the larval forms of Chafer Beetle. A severe infestation of these larvae causes brown patches in the lawn.
Chafer grubs devour the roots of the grass and could go unnoticed for months. They are only outed by critters when they dig out the lawn.
The aforementioned methods work well to eliminate chafer grubs but the most efficient way to get rid of them is by using Provado.
Provado Lawn Grub killer
Provado lawn grub killer can eliminate Chafer grubs and Leatherjacket larvae efficiently. Imidacloprid that’s present in the insecticide is the miracle behind such efficiency.
How to get rid of Grubs in Lawn naturally?
Introducing beneficial nematodes onto the infested lawn is the best way to eliminate grubs naturally. You can also spray Neem oil onto the lawn to eliminate grubs. It is good to have birds around the lawn as they are natural predators.
Natural ways of control should be preferred as they are harmless, both for you and your pets. You won’t be harming the ecosystem in any way too.
Nematodes for lawn grub control
Beneficial nematodes can be introduced into the affected lawns to control Grubs. These nematodes work efficiently.
The nematodes munch on the larval forms thus they also prevent future infestation to an extent. I’ve tried this method of control and I can say it works.
You can buy such nematodes on amazon.
Invite birds over!
Place birdhouses strategically around the lawn. After a while, few birds will probably make them their homes.
You should be able to notice the decline in the populations of the Grubs. Birds love to munch on all types of grubs that infest the lawn.
Milky spore disease
Milky spore disease is caused by a bacterial pathogen that infects grubs. This disease can get rid of grubs but it takes time.
I’ve found that this technique combined with the use of Nematodes works efficiently.
Neem oil for lawn grubs
Using Neem Oil on lawn grubs is an efficient way to get rid of them naturally. Eco neem works well to get rid of lawn grubs.
Spray Neem oil more than once to treat severe infestations.
Does rain kill lawn grubs?
No, rain doesn’t kill lawn grubs as they are present well below the surface of the lawn. Grubs thrive in the wet lawn as it’s suitable for laying eggs.
How do I prevent grubs in my lawn?
I always advise people to take preventative measures rather than treating them later. Below are some means to prevent grubs in the lawn.
- Use beneficial nematodes along with Milky spore disease. This process may take a year or two but prevents further infections.
- Do not use artificial fertilizers to feed your lawn as it kills the beneficial nematodes. Use only organic fertilizer.
Imaginary Grub Infestation
Does your lawn really suffer from a severe grub infestation? Couldn’t it be due to some other reason? Is this really worth thinking about?
You might have seen grubs in the lawn, but are they really hurting your lawn? Some people panic as soon as they see a few grubs in lawn.
How much is too much?
Experts say that if you find less than 5/6 grubs in a sq. feet of a grass patch, then you need not worry. Take a sample out of the lawn.
Peel back the grass and see how many grubs you can find per sq. foot. If there are less than 5/6 per sq. ft., stop worrying!
No treatment is required. Just make sure you don’t overwater the lawn in June/July. This is when grubs multiply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some queries people mail me often. I decided to answer them in a blog post to help as many people as I can.
Will grass grow back after grub damage?
Yes, grass will grow back in the dry patches of grub damage. If you recently got rid of grubs, care well for the lawn and it should bounce back.
It’d just take two to three weeks for the lawn to recover from grub damage.
Can you put grass seed down with grub killer?
Yes, you can put grass seed down along with a grub killer/grub preventer. Grub preventer doesn’t hinder the growth of the lawn in any way.
It is actually advisable to do so to prevent any grub infestation in the lawn.
How often should you spray for lawn grubs?
Spray your lawn preventatively in the spring or summer. You can spray in spring to get rid of the overwintering grubs.
Spray in summer to eliminate newly hatched grubs. If you are applying the insecticide curatively, apply in the early fall to kill most of the grubs.
Wait for a month to actually see the results. Peel off a piece of the lawn and check for grubs in it.
What is the best time to treat for grubs?
Fall and Spring are the best seasons to spray insecticide on the affected lawn. You can get rid of both the adult and larval forms this way.
Happy Lawnkeeping 🙂