There are several biological control agents (nematodes, bacteria, fungi) that provide excellent grub control (though some are species specific) IF appropriate commitment is made to staying with the program and following the specific handling and application instructions. What to treat with? Refer to the 2008 Pest Management Guide for a complete discussion of control options. However, remember that if the turf is healthy, it can withstand quite a bit of grub feeding. Since the grubs are small and near the soil surface, insecticide treatments are optimized during mid-summer. Their small size means they cause only minimal damage for a few weeks, but their large numbers, voracious appetite, and rapid growth rate can turn an insignificant pest into a full-blown problem quickly. The eggs hatch and thousands of young grubs begin to feed on turfgrass roots. So when is the BEST time to treat? Adult beetles mate and lay eggs on the soil surface of lawns throughout the summer period. Insectivore feeding activity is more common in late spring or mid-fall when the grubs are fairly large in size, rather than mid-summer when the grubs are very early in development. Most of the time, the damage done to the turf by the hunting animals is usually far worse than the grub activity, so address this problem quickly to minimize turf disruption. Another sign of heavy grub pressure is turf damage due to birds or skunks digging into the turf in search of a tasty meal. However, realize that in mid-summer they will be very small in size and quite difficult to see. Of course, the only way to confirm grubs is to sample the soil in the area with a shovel or spade and see if you can find grubs. If your turf has had (or currently has) patchy, dying spots that can easily be pulled from the soil, this would suggest grub damage because of the lack of a root system. How can you identify grub damage? Mother Nature provides numerous clues that suggest their presence. Warm-season grasses have an even greater inherent tolerance to grubs since they are actively growing during the summer months. Later on in the year, if the turf is reasonably healthy and summer moisture and heat stress are minimal, it is still very likely that treatment is not necessary, even on cool-season grasses. However, their size and location deeper in the soil make this treatment usually much less effective than desirable. Grubs rarely cause noticeable damage at this time of year because of the mild temperatures, but if you find more than 5 large grubs per sq ft, a spring insecticide treatment might even be warranted. It is normal to get several calls about grubs early in the year when folks first start stirring in their gardens and ornamental beds and they find quite large grubs in their tilled soil.
Milky spore grub control professional#
For this podcast I will consider only beetle management from a turf standpoint, and that deals primarily with the immature stage that resides in the soil: the white grub.įirst of all- is treatment necessary? That is something only YOU or your lawn care professional can decide. If you are targeting beetles because of damage to ornamental and garden plants, please refer to specific extension publications on insect control for these situations at the web link. However, it is the soil-residing grub stage of beetles that we regularly find in and around the landscape (June beetles, masked chafers, etc.) that might be contributing to problems very soon. Of most concern is the Japanese beetle, a voracious feeder on the foliage of many ornamental and garden plants that often warrants treatment as an adult.
Some are potential worrisome pests, while many are causing little, if any, damage.
There are a whole host of beetles that descend on our landscapes, gardens, and outdoor lighting in mid-summer. If you’re having trouble with beetles (and/or grubs in your lawn and landscape) then mid-summer is the ideal time to treat. However, homeowners still experience "beetle mania" almost every summer in the mid-Atlantic. It's been well over 40 years since John, Paul, Ringo, and George swarmed over the United States in their version of "Beatle-mania".
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