Have you ever dug in the soil and found a white, worm-like creature that is curled on its side? It’s most likely a grub of some sort. In the Akron, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio areas, those grubs could be European chafers or Japanese beetle grubs. There are a few simple tips on how to prevent and get rid of grubs, ensuring your lawns survival.

Small But Deadly to Your Lawn

Grubs have the potential to destroy lawns—especially parts that are in sunny areas. You can tell if you have a grub problem on your property if there are patches of dead turf, and if you see a flock of birds or evidence of skunks, raccoons, and moles digging into your lawn to find grubs to eat.

Steps You Can Take

What can you do about your grub problem? In the spring, you can use curative measures to control your grub problem. But keep in mind, it’s in the fall when you want to start your grub prevention program.

Here are some tips to controlling grubs that you now have in your yard:

1. To cure your lawn of grubs for this growing season, you can go to your local garden center or big box stores to buy products known as 24-hour grub control.
    
2. There are some organic methods that you can use as curatives too: Dig for grubs in the area where you see evidence of birds, raccoons, skunks, and moles eating in a particular spot on your lawn. Dig up a spot of turf and take the grubs that you find and dump them into a pail of soapy water.
    
3. You can also put nematodes in your soil to kill grubs. Find these organic grub killers at your local box stores, garden centers, or online.

When to Get Aggressive with Grubs

The best time to control your grub problem begins in the late summer to early fall because the grown beetles will have started laying their eggs in the warm soil during this time period. If you live in Akron, Cleveland, or Columbus, Ohio, you can use grub control products that contain halofenozide as a preventative method in late summer to early fall to get better control over your grub population for the following growing season. These products are found at your local garden center or big box store. Of course, read all package directions before using any of these products.

Make sure that you irrigate your soil after applying these products since they’re water-soluble. And if your area has experienced a dry spell, make sure that you irrigate your soil before you apply the product.

Healthy Lawns = Less Chance for Grubs

The best prevention for grub control is making sure that you have healthy grass. To keep your grass healthy:

1. Water your turf regularly and deeply so that it grows healthy and strong
2. Overseed your lawn so that you have dense, healthy turf growing with deep, close roots to make it more difficult for beetles to deposit their eggs in the late summer/early fall
3. Make an appointment with your local lawn service company for a consultation.

Free Insect Identification Guide

Grubs are not the only insect that you have to be concerned with this spring. Learn how to identify insects and spot trouble BEFORE they have a chance to do damage with our FREE Insect Identification Guide. This guide is yours for free by clicking on the button below!

About Wendy:
Wendy Komancheck is an accomplished Freelance Writer for Trade Magazines, Websites, and Local Businesses, specializing in horticultural articles. Check out Wendy's bio and website by Clicking Here. Wendy's Google+ Page