Steps To Control White Grub Infestation

Anyone that has maintained a lawn for several years are familiar with the white grub. This little beast is the larva of the Japanese Beetle and can destroy parts of your lawn if not caught and properly controlled.

Adult beetles show up at the end of June and deposit eggs into your soil. It takes about 8-14 days for the eggs to hatch. As the larva hatch they will begin to eat the grass which will wilt and show discoloring early on. As more larva hatch and more damage occurs, you will start to see small patches of discolored or dead lawn. These patches will become much larger if the damage is not controlled. You can check for grub larva before you actually start to see the damage. Using a small shovel, dig up square area of turf and examine the soil underneath. Infested area of grass should pull up fairly easy. Damage can occur with as little as 10 white grubs per square foot.

Most companies advise to start treating for grubs in the spring. However it is more effective to apply the chemicals in July--right before the larva hatch at the end of July into the middle of August. Imidacloprid is a very effective chemical treatment for white grubs. GrubEx by Scott's is one such product containing Imidacloprid. It is easy to apply and should be done so in July. Also make sure you water in the chemical after application.