Beneficial bacteria and diseases are alternative solutions for killing off white grubs long-term and protecting your lawn from infestations for years to come. Biological predators, like birds, raccoons, moles and more, are an option when it comes to grub control for lawns.
You can choose to leave your soil exposed to welcome animals to devour the pests. For example, you can use bird feeders to attract birds to your yard to feast on the grubs. But do keep in mind, animals will dig holes in your lawn, which can cause further damage to your yard.
Milky spore is a beneficial bacterium and natural predator of Japanese beetle grubs. It comes in white powder form and can be released on the affected area of the lawn when grubs are present. When applied, milky spore will release spores which will infect the grubs and continue to multiply.
The spores will reside in the soil for up to 15 years, meaning they will continue their outbreak against future grub invasions. However, this solution may not result in the desired outcome immediately. Milky spore should be used independently of other pest control solutions because it requires the actual grubs present in the soil to take effect. Another natural grub treatment is the use of beneficial nematodes, which are tiny worms that live in the soil and pursue grubs and other pests as hosts while they release infectious bacteria.
Once the nematodes find a grub to reside in, they will release bacteria that kills the host grub. Nematodes will not harm plants, animals or humans, but they will attack pests and insects through built-in homing capabilities. Nematodes can be applied in a liquid form. Like milky spore, nematode pest control treatments should not be applied in direct sunlight. Heavy watering is required immediately before and after applying the liquid nematode treatment. Neem oil is naturally derived from the seeds of a tree found in India called the neem tree.
Neem oil is used as a pest control solution for killing lawn grubs. As gardeners become increasingly concerned about using traditional chemical-based pesticides, alternative pest control solutions are growing in popularity.
Their little pincer mouth parts. They look downright evil! Once you know they are active, you need to hit them with a broad spectrum insecticide and goodbye grubs. The problem with this plan is two fold. One, you have to wait until they have already done some damage to your lawn broad spectrum insecticides do not last very long so you need to time it just right and two, your back to also inflicting collateral damage to the many beneficial insects that get in the way.
I do not recommend this method. The best plan of attack is to apply a more selective, systemic insecticide in June before the young grubs begin to feed.
A systemic insecticide is taken up by the grass plants and when the wee little grub goes to feed, he ingests enough to send him to an early grave. While the material cost is a little more, it will prevent damage from occurring and be more environmentally friendly.
When the ground warms up in spring, they resume feeding and can cause damage from the time the grass turns green until they pupate in mid-May. Grub damage may appear in home lawns from mid-September to November or from March to early May. However, for low-maintenance lawns, even if the turf is not killed from grub feeding, the thinned and weakened turf may be prone to weeds and drought stress.
Healthy turf with a few grubs may not need an insecticide. It is important to realize that healthy turf, supported by frequent rain or irrigation, can support a grub population of five or more grubs per square foot with no visible turf damage. In fact, most well-maintained lawns do not have visible damage from grubs.
A lawn should be mowed at 3 to 4 inches in height and properly fertilized for maximum root growth. However, if the grub population is high or if there is a history of damage in an area, it may be necessary to consider using an insecticide for grub control. Finding one or two grubs does not indicate you need to apply a grub control product. Check for the active ingredient in a grub product. I went to several of the local lawn and garden centers in the Lansing, Michigan, area to see what kinds of products are available that specifically claim they will work to control grubs.
I found five to nine different products at each store. The profusion of different products can be rather mystifying. The critical issue with any grub control product is the active ingredient. There are many products available, some with the same active ingredients. The active ingredients are usually shown on the bottom right or left of the front of the bag and listed as a percent of composition.
Water the lawn immediately after applying the insecticide. The second major concern is to make sure the insecticide is thoroughly watered into the ground with at least a half-inch of irrigation or rain immediately after the chemical is applied.
You can measure how much irrigation is applied by putting out several coffee cups in your lawn and run the irrigation until they fill to a half-inch level above the bottom. Research tests over the last 25 years have clearly shown that watering immediately after application helps to obtain good results. This also moves the chemical off the grass and will make the yard safe for children, pets and wildlife after the yard is dry.
A third concern is the rate at which the insecticide is applied. The label lists the legal rate at which the product can be used. There is little benefit to exceeding this rate, and doing so is also illegal. There are also products for sale that list grubs on the label that do NOT work for grubs. Insecticides used for grubs can be separated into two groups based on how they work: preventive chemicals and curative chemicals.
These products are used to prevent future grub problems, not to control the grubs present in the lawn in the spring. They will not work on grubs found in the lawn from the middle of October through the middle of May. However, when applied in June or July they provide excellent protection against the next generation of grubs. Shetlar, however, recommended that lawn lovers should be even more vigilant, especially in order to prevent large critters from eating them.
As such, it may be worthwhile for homeowners to be just a little warier on account of skunks and raccoons. Once grubs are established, what can you do about it?
The most common and, sadly, most effective ways to kill grubs are chemical insecticides. Effective insecticide control products against grubs include imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin.
However, they only work if used in the lawn in June and July. The chemicals carbaryl and trichlorfon that are considered curative treatments — they are short-lived products effective immediately. Always follow label directions carefully when using any chemical pesticide. Any use poses a risk of harm to not just people, but other insects, including lawn-beneficial pollinators.
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