How do I know if I have active grubs or grub damage?
While the cooler fall weather will provide your lawn with the relief it needs from the harsh heat and humidity of the summer, it also presents a threat to your lawn’s health, known as grubs.
Grubs tend to invade your yard in September and early October and can cause significant damage to your lawn, ruining the lush green lawn you’ve maintained all summer.
What Are Grubs?
Grubs, the larvae of beetles, hatch between late August and early October. Common beetles that can be found in Southwestern PA include:
- Japanese beetles
- May/June beetles
- Oriental beetles
Throughout the summer season, beetles will begin to attach to your grass and other plants on your property so they can eat them.
Once the beetles have eaten enough, they will begin the
mating process and lay their eggs. Their eggs will gestate over about a month or two, and when they hatch, they will become hungry grubs.
mating process and lay their eggs. Their eggs will gestate over about a month or two, and when they hatch, they will become hungry grubs.
Beginning in the early fall, the grubs will feed on the roots of your grass and then burrow into the ground at the end of the season, lying dormant until spring rolls around. When the weather warms up, they will come out of their dormant state and feed on your lawn again, becoming beetles.
What Are the Signs of Active Grubs/Grub Damage?
You can determine whether you have active grubs or grub damage by inspecting your lawn in the fall. Grubs feed on the roots of your grass; the roots become damaged and are unable to deliver the necessary water and nutrients to your grass. Without the right amount of nutrients and water, patches of your grass can become wilted and turn a brown or yellow color.
You can also identify grub damage by touch. Feel your yard with your hand or your foot. If it feels soft or spongy, you likely have grub damage. You may also be able to pull up sections of your lawn or even roll it back like a carpet, which can expose the grubs on the soil’s surface.
Pull up the yellow or brown sections of grass to check for grubs. If the grass comes up easily, look at the soil’s surface for white, c-shaped insects about the size of a penny. If they are present, this means you have active grubs. Another sign of active grubs is the presence of birds, skunks, or raccoons digging up your lawn looking for grubs to eat.
Worried You Have Active Grubs? Contact Superior Lawn Care Today!
If your lawn is showing signs of active grubs or grub damage, Superior Lawn Care can help! The expert Superior Lawn Care team will apply curative grub control to your lawn to reduce the damage caused by grubs. With this treatment, we can also prevent future grub damage from occurring.
After this curative grub control product has been applied, it should be heavily watered into our lawn. Doing this will help the product begin working immediately to start taking care of your grub issues.
Superior Lawn Care provides grub control services to customers all over Southwestern PA, including Moon Township, Upper St. Clair, Wexford, Pittsburgh, and Indiana. Call us today to learn how we can help you keep your lawn free of grub damage this fall!