Insect Control
Two groups of pests are typically responsible for damage to Michigan lawns: animals and insects. While insects feed on grass roots, undesirable animals like moles, skunks, and raccoons dig up patches of lawn to feed on the insects. The most common turf damaging insects in West Michigan are the Japanese beetle, the hairy cinch bug, the bluegrass billbug, and the European chafer, which is the most prevalent of the group.
The larval stage of the European chafer is a grub that feeds on the roots of many plants, but prefers the fibrous roots of turf grasses. Grubs have soft, white, C-shaped bodies with tan or brown heads and three pairs of long, prominent legs. The hind part of the body is smooth with dark body contents showing through the skin. The adult stage of the European chafer is a beetle that is similar to the June beetle in appearance. Both are brown, but the European chafer is tan and the June beetle is usually dark brown.
A Simple Test
Knowing how to detect grub
worms is key to treating them. Visible lawn grub
damage can be seen from late summer to early fall,
but the ideal time to look for grubs is mid April to
early May, and mid to late August. To search for
infestation, cut through three sides of a square
foot patch of sod and roll the flap back to look
underneath. Loosen the soil to a depth of 2” to 4"
and count the grubs. Repeat this process in 3
to 4 locations.
If you do not water your lawn frequently, five or more grubs per square foot indicates a grub problem and Twenty or more grubs per square foot signals a serious problem in a well-watered lawn.
Treatment
The best time for treating grubs is in late summer or early fall while the grubs are still small and close to the surface. Grubs are less susceptible to treatment in the spring, as they are too large and no longer feeding. For this reason, insecticides are less effective. Spring rains can also make this difficult, as applications may be washed away.
The easiest way to rid your lawn of grass damaging grubs is to have a lawn service, like Quality Cut Lawn Care, apply pesticide in July. If you have your lawn fertilized, the pesticide can easily be added to your third fertilizer application.
Common Lawn Insect Photo Gallery
Click an image below to see larger view.
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Lawn damaged by grubs