Why Do Grubs Come Out Of The Ground?
Why do grubs come out of the ground? Because they are ready to look for food and begin their next stage of life. During early May, the grubs emerge from their winter tunnels deep below the surface. Sadly, they can make a real mess of your manicured lawn in the process. Today I’ll share whether grubs in your ground are something to worry about, how to combat them and what you can do to prevent them from returning next year.
Contents
- Why do grubs come out of the ground?
- What do grubs do to your backyard?
- Are there grubs in my lawn?
- How to stop grubs coming out of the ground
- Lawn grub prevention methods
Why Do Grubs Come Out Of The Ground?
In the spring grubs come out of the ground because they have just come out of their winter cocoons. They are looking for food in preparation for turning into beetles. Beetles emerge from the soil and start feeding on the roots of plants in June, when the grubs build their in-ground cocoons.
What Do Grubs Do To Your Backyard?
Grubs eat grass roots, causing your lawn to die and often fall off. Trees and shrubs can also harbor grubs under their bark. The bark of your trees or shrubs may be covered with grub poop if you have them in your yard. Trees are eaten by grubby insects when they display this type of behavior.
Grubbies can damage and kill grass at a rate of six to ten per square foot. A good way to treat grub problems is to use pesticides or nematodes that are allowed in your area. During the fall or early spring is the best time to repair grub-damaged lawns.
Are There Grubs In My Lawn?
If you think you may have a lawn grub problem, you should look for these signs:
- Thinning grass
- Discoloration
- Beetles
- Rodents
- Loose grass
Thinning Grass
When your lawn has grubs, what does it look like? There is only one word to describe this: thin. Grubs randomly chew the roots of grass mounds on lawns with too many grubs to maintain a lush, lush appearance. As a result, it will always appear thin and patchy from a distance.
Discolored Patches
There may be grubs in your lawn if you see irregular brown patches or small circular patches. Grubs eat grass roots, causing them to decay and develop brown spots.
Beetles
Typically, lawn grubs are white grubs that become beetles when they reach maturity. In some cases, the beetles are referred to as “water beetles”. They are brown in color and are smaller than most grubs. These beetles may indicate that you will have grub infestations in the fall if you see dozens of them on or around your lawn.
Small Rodents
You may have grub problems due to moles, voles, skunks, or other grub-predators. There is a good chance your lawn may have more grubs than your neighbor’s lawn, as they are usually the most noticeable.
Loose Grass
Loose grass in dry soil is usually a sign of grub infestations rather than other root problems. Although the grass is perfectly dry, your feet may still feel “squishy” as if there is water under them.
How To Stop Grubs Coming Out Of The Ground
A natural way to eliminate grubs is by adding beneficial nematodes to the lawn that has been infested. Grass grubs can also be eliminated by spraying Neem oil on it. In addition to being natural predators, birds are a good addition to your lawn.
You should prefer natural methods of controlling your pet since they are not harmful to either of you. Neither you nor the ecosystem will be harmed by this.
- Nematodes
- Birds
- Milky spore disease
- Neem oil
Introduce Nematodes
In order to control Grubs on lawns, beneficial nematodes can be used. Nematodes like these are highly effective. Because they eat larvae, the nematodes also prevent further infestations. It works for me, and I’ve tried it.
Attract Birds
The lawn should be dotted with birdhouses strategically placed. In any case, there is a good chance that there will be a few birds who choose them as their home after a while. The Grub population should be declining. Lawn grubs are a favorite snack of birds.
Milky Spore Disease
This bacteria infects grubs and causes milky spore disease. However, it takes time for this disease to eliminate grubs completely. Using this technique in conjunction with nematodes is highly effective.
Apply Neem Oil
Natural ways of eliminating lawn grubs include using Neem Oil. Grubs can be removed from lawns with eco neem. If you are dealing with severe infestations, spray Neem oil several times.
How To Prevent Lawn Grubs
Beetles can lay eggs in your lawn even if you prevent them from doing so completely. It’s more important to prevent damage rather than grubs when it comes to white grub prevention. You can, however, prevent the larvae from causing damage to your lawn by applying preventative products early in the larval stage. It is also possible to control adult beetles in your yard, which may reduce the number of egg-laying adult beetles and, thus, the number of grubs in your yard.
- Beetle control
- Commercial products
- Summer treatments
- subheading
- subheading
Prevent Adult Beetles
Controlling the adult beetle population can help you reduce the number of eggs laid in your lawn by adult beetles. Different types of beetles require different control measures.
Commercial Products
It is important to apply preventative treatments before grub eggs hatch. By killing the grubs early, the product will prevent them from doing any damage. The advantage of this type of treatment is that it can be applied more quickly and with less sampling, but it must be applied before the true extent of damage can be determined and where damage will be concentrated.
Apply Treatments In Summer
Generally, the best time to apply your curative products is between mid-July and mid-August, when most grubs hatch. In your area, however, you should speak with the master gardener at your local extension office about the best time to treat white grubs.
Killing grubs before they hatch is the key to successful grub control. Spring through early summer is the best time to apply preventative grub control products before the grubs hatch. Whenever you apply a control product, make sure you follow the directions on the label.
Why Do Grubs Come Out Of The Ground?
Grubs come out of the ground in the spring time because they have hatched and are ready to find food. Sadly a side effect of this can be a rather ruined lawn, but fortunately there are several ways to avoid them from returning next season.
