On my way to work this morning I heard a radio commercial for grub control. It’s a tongue-in-cheek spot from a major lawn care product supplier that is pretty funny really. Kind of 1950’s, flying-saucer-ominous-voice-in-panic type deal. Ugly monsters in the lawn devouring grass roots! Run for your lives! Something like that. Smart advertising for the most part. It blends the seriousness of a grub problem on turf with a “…don’t worry, it can be controlled. Even prevented…” message. For guys like me who worry about turf all year long and the blade-watching, home turf hobbyists across the country, this is good news. So I figured this was a good subject to blog about.

Grub damage at Winterthur

No doubt; white grubs can be a nightmare. We’ve had problems here at Winterthur in the past. They cause turf damage quick, fast, and in a hurry. Recovery from an infestation can take a long time depending on the extent of the damage. And, to top it off, they become adults and eat Momma Q’s roses as some sort of beetle. Certain beetles lay eggs in the soil under your grass. The eggs hatch and the grubs feed on their favorite food. Your grass roots. They dive deep and over winter then come back up in the spring and eat again before becoming beetles and repeating the cycle.

Is that messed up or what?

Now…don’t panic…I don’t know how to break this to you but… you’ve got grubs in your lawn. You probably never knew. But if you haven’t been applying an insecticide on your lawn for grubs chances are, you’ve got ‘em.

Hold on. Don’t go flinging the grub control just yet. Here’s the deal. You’ll probably never see damage from “your” grubs (keep them to yourself thank you very much) if there are not a lot of them in your lawn. A healthy stand of turf, properly mowed, fertilized, and watered can tolerate about 5 white grubs per square foot. If your turf is under stress due to drought, disease, or pretty much anything, the tolerance threshold drops. To know if you have a problem with grubs look for brown patches of grass that seem to be getting bigger as the week progresses (grubs work fast). Not all brown patches on your lawn are grub damage so here’s the next step. Try pulling on the blades of those brown patches. If the grass lifts quickly and comes up like newly laid sod, the roots are gone and chances are you’ve got grubs. Take a closer look, if they are there you’ll find them just under the surface of the soil trying to get out of the light. If there are only 2 or 3 grubs per square foot gather them up for fishing bait if you want but don’t overreact. Keep some water on the area and the grass should recover. Just consider a grub prevention treatment next year.

Grubs

However, if you see more than five in that square foot section, it is time to get rid of them. Head off to your favorite garden supply store and choose from any number of grub controls out there. Apply as directed on the product label then properly care for your lawn as you would normally, keeping an eye on the damaged area(s). If the conditions are right your turf will recover on its own. If you need to reseed…reseed. Simple, easy, no panic here…right? That’s how I roll.

Myth Buster
Here’s a myth I heard from a former employer:
To get rid of moles in a lawn spread grub control. It kills the grubs and the moles leave ‘cause there’s nothing for them to eat. Right?
No…no…no…

OK…it sort of makes sense. This would be true if moles ate only grubs (they don’t), or, if your yard was not on the way to a yard where a mole needed to be (it is). Moles like shortcuts..

The fact is, moles go where moles want to go. They can be an indicator of grubs, but they are not a reliable diagnostic tool. Myths like this have resulted in non-targeted applications of pesticides, which add to potential environmental problems to numerous to count here. Insecticides are for insects only. Use them when you need to, but try to have a little tolerance. Always read the label before applying any pesticide.

Mower Jockey Bonus Question!!!
(No prize just the satisfaction of knowing that you know)

By looking at a white grub, how can you tell what kind of beetle it will become when it reaches the adult stage? (Leave your answer as a comment on this entry.)

1. On those nice days, clean up leaves, twigs, rocks and other debris from your lawn. Leaves and small twigs can be mowed and left on the lawn. Larger sticks and rocks, however, are blade bait!! Hitting a rock with a rotating piece of thick metal turning at a bazillion RPM will damage your equipment and is just plain dangerous to everything else when it shoots randomly out from under your mower.

2. Plan your garden now. Once you’ve determined how your planting beds will be shaped for the upcoming growing season you’ll know how much room you’re going to have for turf. So, with less turf to maintain, maybe you can get rid of that ancient 1960’s lawn tractor, buy a push mower and work on that New Year’s resolution about more exercise and stuff. Oh yes…you know who you are.

3. While we’re talkin’ mowers…now is a good time to drop yours off at the shop for some yearly and preventive maintenance. Getting a mower mechanic to even look at your broken down grass muncher during the turf growing season is near impossible. Call around. Some mower shops are begging for work right now. You may even be able to talk them into picking it up for you. Of course, if local laws allow, you’re secure in your sanity, and wear a helmet, just hop on that old rider and drive that baby over there yourself. For you single folks, nothing screams “I’m available” louder than using your riding mower for personal transportation.

4. Research. “Google” some turf products! Now is a great time to look at all the latest and greatest turf products out there. Did you notice that all the seed and plant companies are sending you ads now? Hmmm….

5. If you did not get a chance to put down that winter fertilizer application on your lawn, don’t bother. The state of DE does not want fertilizer applied from Dec. 15 through Feb 15. The potential for frozen ground that keeps nutrients from reaching intended targets and therefore runs off with any winter precipitation, is a far greater threat to the environment than your grass not being greener come spring. So, you can work on that other resolution to be more organized and plan better for next fall.

6. One last thing. Here’s a grass seeding tip I’ve heard from lots of experts, lots of times, “sow your grass seed just before the last snow of the season.” Brilliant huh? The melting snow helps work the seed into the soil, waters it, and provides a useful amount of nutrients. Hey! It makes sense to me! There’s one small problem here I can’t quite work out. Which is the last snow?!? If I could figure that out I’d be in Atlantic City right now at a roulette wheel. And just try keeping the birds off of it

So, enjoy your winter. Leave any of your turf questions as a comment on this post and I’ll try answer to answer them. In the mean time, just remember, spring is around the corner and all that white stuff will be off your green stuff soon enough. I’ll catch up with you then.