Grubs are very common on every lawn. They appear in late summer and early fall and spring. In winter, they hibernate and appear next spring. Very few grubs are common in the lawn but they become a headache when they increase in number. These grubs eat grassroots and turn into various types of beetles in the future.
This continuous lawn grass root feed is bad for non-rhizome grasses. It can destroy even the entire lawn if they increase the huge numbers.
Lawn grub damage in the USA
It is very unfamiliar for new lawns and gardens to identify such grubs in their lawn garden.
Although, once you identify them, you can prevent and remove them DIY. Let's understand the grubs and their removal.
What are the signs of lawn grubs damage?
Well, generally lawn turf gets dormant after fall. It turns brown and dry for the winter. It is not just a season when lawn turf gets brown. Even in later summer and early spring, lawn grass can turn brown or dry.
If this is happening in your lawn, then most of the time, either it is a lack of irrigation or grubs are in your lawn.
Even if lawn grass is not getting full recovery after irrigation, you can use sharp tools to dig in the spots and confirm the grubs in the soil. Sometimes, lawn grass doesn't get dry or brown but turf starts to lose lawn grass.
If this happens to your lawn, then there are chances that in the green period, your lawn have grubs. If you find the lawn has enough moisture but the grass is not growing there, then it is possible that it is happening because of grubs.
St. Augustine, Zoysia, Bermuda grass, etc. are most susceptible to grub damage.
Why do grubs appear in Lawn?
Commonly, every lawn has grubs once a year. But if it is impacting the overall growth of the lawn then you need to be aware. At this stage, their permanent removal is necessary.
Following are some causes of grub appearance in the lawn-
- If a lawn doesn't have a drainage system and the soil is over-moist in summer for a long time, it can surely become a reason for grubs in the lawn.
- If a land has a history of grubs development, then they will appear every year commonly. A permanent solution will help you to remove them once a year.
Requirements to remove grubs from lawn
DIY removal of grubs is not difficult until you are not aware of the basics of grubs. Don't worry, it is not difficult for beginners either.
Following are requirements to deal with grubs in the lawn-
Tools required
We don't need a tool to pick every single grub from lawn soil but we need tools to create odd situations in the lawn for grubs.
The following tools are helpful in process of rubs removal from the lawn-
- Dethatching tools
- Aeration tools
- Long head sprayers
Dish soap and water
Dish soap and water solutions are very effective for grubs on the lawn. Using 1:4 of dish soap and water is effective to kill grubs faster.
It is effective on young grubs but for bigger ones, you can make it more concentrated.
#Use dish soaps and water solution carefully, it can also kill the lawn grass.
Other grubs removals
Carbaryl and Scott's grubs killers are some effective grubs removals available in the market. Choose only organic grubs killers otherwise, their overuse can burn the lawn grass too.
PPE kit
A PPE kit helps to protect the full body when you practice harmful chemicals on the lawn. It can harm not just your visible body parts but inside your body.
A PPE kit includes full body protection, hand gloves, long boots, glasses, a head cover, a mask, etc.
If a full-body PPE kit is not possible then at least wear it on visible parts of the body like eyes, face, hands, and feet.
DIY guide to removing grubs from lawn
Letting grubs evolve in the lawn can create huge problems for any lawn owner.
Considering you are a random one, there can be two stages of grubs in the lawn before the developed form of grubs-
- Young larva
Young larvas are small size grubs that grow slowly in the early days. It is the best time to remove them from the lawn.
- Developing larva
Developing larvae are mid-stage grubs that are bigger and not easy to handle.
For this, you need more effective grub killers in the lawn.
Removing young larvae
To identify grubs are young larvae, you should aware of their season of appearance. Mostly, grubs start to grow from late summer to early fall. If you are ready to remove them from your lawn in the early stages, then do it in 2nd or 3rd week of the early fall month.
The following points will help you to remove grubs in the early stages(DIY)-
Step 1- Mark those areas where you find the grass is turning brown or light in color.
Step 2- Use a long-handle aeration tool to check if the soil is loose or stressed there. Try to remove the upper layer of soil to check the conditions for grubs.
Step 3- In case you find grubs there, you can confirm the spot for treatment.
Step 4- Prepare the dish soap and water solution as suggested above. Fill it in a sprayer. You can also use organic grub killers instead of dish soap and water.
Step 5- Spray the dish soap and water solution on each grub.
Step 6- Wait for at least 6 hours. If few of the grubs are still left, you can spray more on them. Same process with organic grub removal liquids.
Removing developing grubs
If you don't notice, grubs become larger till their mid-developing stage. At this time, it becomes harder to deal with them.
The following points will help you to remove developing grubs in mid-stage-
Step 1- It is easier to identify developing grubs in the lawn as it indicates a dry spot in the lawn and soil. Use an aeration tool and try to scratch the soil for a few inches.
Step 2- Now, you have to be aware that you need to be precise while using grub removals because this time they are more concentrated and can kill grass as well.
Step 3- Make 1:2 of dish soap and water respectively and fill it in a sprayer. You can also make a concentrated solution of organic grub removals.
Step 4- Spray the solution on every grub and it will kill them faster.
Step 5- Although a concentrated solution can kill the grubs easily but if they don't, use it again on the remained ones.
Step 6- Clean the grubs from the areas.
Step 7- In winter, grubs go into hibernation, so either remove them early or clean them when they appear again easily. In spring, they reappear on the lawn and you can remove them then easily.
How to prevent grubs damage on the lawn?
In many lawn diseases and pests, we only discuss their treatment of them. Although it is quite normal and every lawn gets grubs once a year generally. But all the time doing treatment increases the extra effort to take care of the lawn and reduces the lawn quality.
So instead of the treatment of grubs affected lawn, the following steps will help you to prevent the conditions for grubs in the lawn-
- If your lawn has proper drainage, then it will be good as it reduces the moisture in the lawn. Reducing moisture helps to reduce the conditions for grubs in the lawn.
- Some grasses like Tall fescue is more grub resistant than other grasses.
- Regular dethatching and lawn aeration helps to figure out and remove grubs from the lawn easily. Even these two processes can help to change soil conditions effectively to prevent any grubs in it.
- In late summer and early spring, if you see your lawn grass turning light yellow or brown, you can spray dish soap and water solution in a 1:5 if you want to neglect the grubs appearing conditions. It is also effective in early spring.