How to identify lawn grub infestation
Grubs are a major problem affecting lawns during the summer and carrying on into early Fall. If your lawn is characterized by dead patches of grass during late summer, you might be wondering if grubs are behind your menace. Well, this could be one of the warning signs. Grubs are common during midsummer because it's egg-laying season. As a result, summer is the ideal time to spot out grubs before they hatch, mate and multiply. This article explains three other easy-to-spot signs that point towards grub infestation in your lawn. Read on for insight.
Lawn Grubs
It's important to first understand what grubs are before knowing how to identify them in your lawn. Grubs are the larvae of different beetles, including June beetles, Japanese beetles, European chafers and others. In terms of appearance, lawn grubs are usually white and C-shaped. Their size is comparable to your fingertip. Ultimately, grubs become adult beetles and lay eggs and form a potentially destructive grub cycle in your turf.
Three tell-tale signs
Spongy turf
Before you notice a brown patch resulting from grub activity, you may notice a spongy section of the lawn. Inspect the spongy area rather closely. Strip that slice of turf and check for roots. Do you see any roots? Can you notice the white, C-shaped grubs? If yes, count them. If they are ten or more grubs per square foot, then that's a sign of infestation. However, if the number of grubs in a foot of lawn is less than five, there's no cause for alarm.
Roll-up brown patches
Grubs live beneath the soil surface and usually feed on the roots of the grass as well as organic matter. Consequently, you can effortlessly lift up damaged sections of the lawn from the ground. Identify any brown patches and try rolling up that part of grass like a carpet. If you can do so and you don't see any roots, this is a sign that grubs are the culprit. Remember, brown patches may even emerge when your turf is well-irrigated, and that's a sure sign that water scarcity is not the problem.
Ravaged lawn from increased animal activity
Lawn grubs are a delicious treat for skunks, moles, birds and raccoons. Therefore, birdlife will ravage your lawn to feed on the grubs beneath. This is a sign that something is happening under the grass. Therefore, ravaged sections of your lawn due to increased animal activity are a sure sign of grub activity. Nevertheless, bear in mind that animals also plow for worms, so carry out the previously mentioned 'roll-up' check on the ravaged areas of your lawn to reveal the actual culprit.
Grubs will not disappear on their own. The best time for grub treatment is during the summer and early fall when it's their peak egg-laying season. For more information, contact your local lawn and turf supplies company.