It is that time of year again when you may start seeing grub damage to your lawn.  In eastern Iowa lawns, we usually start seeing signs of damage toward the end of August.  By this point it is too late to get any effective control from a grub preventor product.  Grub preventor products should have been applied mid June through mid July at the latest to get the most effective control out of the products.  Since we have not had significant rain fall in the past few months, anyone receiving these products should have manually watered the products into their lawns.  The grub preventor products that we use will not be effective if they are not adequately watered in.  On the other hand if we have a rainy year, the grub preventors effectiveness may be reduced due to water flushing the product out of the soil.  Either way it is important to make sure that your lawn receives an adequate amount of water after the product is applied.  If you properly apply your grub preventor, you can prevent grub damage before it starts.

Post emergent grub damage control.

If you failed to apply a grub preventor to your lawn, there are products available for a post emergent cure.  As with the preventor products, most post emergent products also require watering to be effective.  We recommend a grub preventor application to all property owners that have had grubs in the past or are concerned about having a grub out break in their lawn.  A grub preventor is like an insurance policy against a grub break out; it should give you piece of mind.

Inaction is about the worst thing that you can do with grubs, because the damage will continue to spread.  Grub damage activity will stop when cooler temperatures come into play, but why wait until the damage is done?  Grub damage in the fall will weaken your turf and allow for more weeds to thrive in the spring.  If there is no grass for competition, weeds will quickly fill the dead areas of the turf.