One of the best ways to protect your lawn from damaging grub insects is through a grub control application. This preventative application will significantly minimize the chances of grub damage to your property. If you have not experienced grub damage in your lawn before, then you might not be aware of the devastating damage that grubs can do in a short amount of time.
In the Midwest, the most significant grub damage is noticed from mid-July to the beginning of September. It is also possible to see grub damage occur in mid-May as well. White Grubs are the juvenile form of Japanese beetles, June bugs, and European chafers. These white pre-mature insects curl in a ball and are usually about the size of a dime when they are noticed.
Your Grub Control Application must be watered.
Scarab beetles have a life cycle of one year. June beetles have a three-year life cycle. Most grubs will emerge from winter in the spring and change into pupae after feeding. After the grub grows into pupae, it will then turn into a beetle. When this occurs, the adult beetle will emerge and feed on foliage. Shortly after feeding, it lay eggs in the soil. When the eggs hatch, they will turn into new grubs. Eggs hatch in about two weeks. The new grubs will continue to feed on the roots of your grass through late summer to early fall.
Grub damage is easy to identify. The most common things to watch out for are patchy lawn browning, grass being able to be rolled back like carpet and noticeable critter activity. If you have a well-irrigated lawn, you may not notice any lawn browning since the grass has adequate access to water. You will still see grass coming out in large chunks or critter activity.
White grubs feed on the root system of the grass plant. Since grubs feed on the roots, the sod in your lawn will lose its stabilization. The turf will no longer be rooted in the soil because the deep roots have been eaten off. Having a grub control application applied to your yard in June or early-July will stop these pests from damaging your lawn.
A preventative product with Merit will provide adequate control. If you need a curative product for your lawn, we suggest that you use a product called Dylox. Both Merit and Dylox need to be watered into the soil before they will work.