I figured I needed to write about grub worms in the fall here real quick because of what I have been finding lately. Guys; straight up — YES, we want to take care of our lawn organically and naturally. YES, we want responsible lawn treatments… but there are times when you have to weigh out your options.
Bottom line is that grub worms are a big deal and can dessimate your lawn in just a few weeks! In fact, I have seen entire lawns destroyed when populations get out of control.
Watch the video below very carefully. I came upon this lawn and the entire right side was completely brown (about 10,000 sq feet or 1/4 of an acre) and dead. The homeowner called me and said “our lawn just started turning brown a few weeks ago and now it looks completely dead even though we have been watering.” When I arrived at the property, the gray-ash colored turf was an indicator of grubs to me. I whipped out my IPhone and shot this vid straight. See what I found…
I found these grub worms in early September. This damage probably started a couple weeks earlier but with the overwhelming populations that infested this lawn, the damage became widespread very quickly. There is some more general info about grubs in the Midwest here.
Organic Lawns – Grubs
Couple things to consider here ya’ll. Please read this carefully so you do the RIGHT thing for your lawn and don’t waste any “chemicals” where they are not needed.
what time of year is it? Are you wanting to treat for grubs BEFORE you found them? We would call this a grub preventative and there are organic grub prevention products out there (see below). The key with these is that you have to apply them more than once in order to ensure they work properly. Most organic grub controls are not long-persisting in the environment (which is the point!) Remember, the products below are organic grub PREVENTION products. If you already found grubs, then continue reading!
| Woodstream Corp 5611 "Safer" Concentrate Ready-to-spray Grub Killer 32 Oz. |
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Now if it is September or October and you are actually finding grub worms in the lawn and they are causing damage, then you need something a little stronger that will work a little faster. Grubs are a serious problem in lawns and they need to be controlled in most cases. (keep reading to find out when not to worry about them) But I don’t want you to be confused.
If you are seeing brown areas in your lawn in September and October and you dig in and find grubs – then you MUST eradicate them immediately of you will lose your lawn, period. Below is an organic product that works well. It is not the fastest grub killer, but it does work well and still lets you stay within your organic lawn care regimen. You must apply it three times over a 7 day period in order to get complete control so make sure you get a couple bottles at least.
Now if you want something that works faster and you are ok with moving off of your Organic Lawn Care regimen for a little while, then the product below will work within 24hrs, but must be watered in to work. It is ok to apply this product. Just don’t go crazy and throw it where it is not needed. We call this targeted pest control.
The last case scenario to look at here is again, what time of year is it? If you are finding grubs in later November, and the damage you see is minimal, then just let it go. At this point in the year, we are almost to winter when the grubs will stop feeding. If you look and see very minimal damage and you are late in the year, then don’t apply anything. you will be just fine and your organic lawn will recover in the spring.
By the way: grubs are NOT a concern in the spring time! Trust me!
Your questions are always welcomed in the comment section below.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I live in Birmingham Al. Last year sections of my zoyzia lawn were turning brown. Someone told me to just water it. I discovered later that the brown persisted. I think now that it must have been the grubs. Now it is February and the weather is now in the low sixties after some weeks of below freezing weather. What can I do at this point to head off any return of these killers and the death of more lawn? Thanks for your advice. JK>
Hi Joe,
Zoysia is one of the most prolific grass types around. It will recover nicely in the spring with no issues.
Grubs from last year are no longer a concern. they will soon emerge as Japanese beetles/June Bugs.
I would recommend you apply a grub preventative in later may or early June to thwart the onslaught of this year’s batch.
AL
We were just cleaning out our compost pile – trying to get to the good dirt at the bottom. We have found quite a few very large grub worms. How should we get rid of these so that we can still use the soil in our veggie garden? Or do we just need to toss the entire thing? These things are really gross!!! Thanks for your advice!
no problem if they are in your compost pile. they are only a concern in the yard.
I pick them out one by one. I still have them in my veggie garden, and they don’t seem to be a problem. Do watch out for caterpillers. Putting sand around the bottom of the plant about 6 to 8 inches, is susposed to help-I’ll be trying that this year. Another thing to note, using compost can grow dog slime mold vomit in your garden, just clean it out and toss. The garden should still be okay. Good Luck and Happy Gardening. Laurie
I lost half of my lawn last fall due large white grub worms . My question is should I rake dead grass up now and reseed then apply grub prevention ? I live in the Midwest Wisconsin . Thanks
Hey Richard – yes, if they areas are completely gone (wait til mid-April to be sure) you should go ahead and rake and seed now. If you can aerate also, that is a good idea. See this article here and look at the pics… http://yardandgardens.com/how-to-grow-grass-seed-in-your-lawn/
Last year I noticed that part of my yard just wouldn’t grow fresh grass. I thought it was because of lack of shade. Last night I was pulling weeds and found grubs. The ‘dead’ looking spots in my yard are even larger now than they were last year. So, even though it is Spring, should I still go with a preventative knowing that I most likely had grubs last year and I’ve now got a good infestation?
Hi Amber–you can apply a grub prevention product, but wait until June. the grubs you see there now will turn into adult beetles here real soon and fly away.
Thanks Lawn Care Man for the information. Great concise information.
Hi,
My husband recently treated our lawn “himself” with a grub control substance and also he applied a fertilizer at some point this season. Yesterday, a lawn company treated my lawn by mistake. They were supposed to do someone else’s lawn, but did ours. They left a thing on our door stating they put the same kind of stuff on our lawn that my husband already did. Will this cause any harm to our lawn seems it’s been double treated? We contacted the lawn company by phone, and also email…however, they will not return our calls or emails. We let our neighbors know they treated our lawn instead of ours.
Thanks,
Chris
What are your thoughts on Milkey Spore as a grub treatment? Please advise. Thanks!
it takes years for that to build up to the point where it will be effective. it is best to thicken up the lawn so it can resist naturally.