Brown patches plaguing your lawn can be the most frustrating part of spring and summer. Many people are often unaware of the source of damage to their lawn and do not know how to treat the areas in need. The signs of grub damage are often confused with other harmful factors that can affect your turf, such as lawn diseases, drought stress, compaction, and more. In order to properly treat and remove a grub population from your lawn, you must first know how to identify a grub infestation. Detecting lawn grubs can be as easy as pouring soapy water over the infected area and waiting to see the grubs rise to the surface. Other easy methods of identification include simply raking over the damaged area or getting on your hands and knees to look.
Lawn grubs leave behind irregular brown patches on your turf that appear in random areas throughout your yard. Areas taken over by an infestation will likely contain thinning or dead patches of grass. There can be many causes of a dead patch of grass, but determining whether or not grubs are the culprits is a fairly easy process. Grubs get their sustenance from the roots of your lawn, which will quickly get chewed up and become weaker once the grubs eat away at them. If you can reach down and pull up a handful of the damaged grass with little to no resistance, you are likely dealing with an infestation. Damaged patches of grass due to drought stress or other climate related issues should have roots that are intact and will resist when pulled. This is a quick and easy way to determine the cause of brown patches on your lawn.
Aside from the direct damage grubs can cause by eating the roots of your turf, a large invasion can start to have other effects that are detrimental to the health and appearance of your lawn. If grub populations are allowed to grow, you will likely start to see larger animals in your yard that can cause their own damage. Birds, skunks, moles, raccoons, and other critters feed on grubs, and they will destroy your yard as they dig and hunt. In the process, these larger animals will also eat earthworms and other small creatures that actually benefit your soil, and they will cause even more damage to the root system as they dig under the soil surface.
The technicians at Holmes Lawn & Pest have been providing professional grub control in Salt Lake City since we first opened our doors. We know what signs to look for and how to treat grub infestations, and we will walk you through the best ways to prevent further invasions from ever happening. Grub damage can quickly spread and decimate your entire lawn, and we want to get in there and help before the problem grows out of control. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Call us at (801) 616-5296, and we will be happy to help you with your grub problem in any way we can.
Common Lawn Grubs And Signs Of Damage
There are certain lawn grubs and other insects that are common in Utah and the Salt Lake area. Lawn grubs are the larvae of scarab beetles that dwell under the soil surface, which is where they do most of the damage to your lawn. Certain beetle species are more common in Utah than others, such as June beetles or Japanese beetles, and the presence of these beetles in your yard means a higher likelihood of grubs dwelling underneath the surface of your lawn. Moths constantly hovering above your lawn could also indicate a grub population, as certain types of grubs/insects mature and turn into moths in the adult stages of their life cycles.
Grubs are commonly defined as white, C-shaped larvae that have small, soft bodies and live within the soil. The adult beetles they will become, as well as other types of lawn pests, can also cause damage and make it difficult to maintain healthy turf. Our grub control program will work to eradicate the larvae from beetles that mate and lay eggs, so you can rest assured knowing that Holmes Lawn & Pest will remove pests and prevent grubs from invading your yard. Below is a list of some insects and grubs commonly found in Utah and the damage each type can cause.
White Grubs
Scarab beetles mate and lay eggs in your soil. The scarab beetles’ larvae are called white grubs, which could be considered the “true” species of lawn grub. These are the white and crescent-shaped larvae that most people picture when they think of grubs. Japanese beetles, June beetles, and masked chafer beetles are some of the most common scarab beetles in the Salt Lake City area, and the white grubs they produce ravage grass roots. Thinning blades of grass, spongy turf, dead patches, and detached roots are all direct results of a white grub infestation. While these grubs will destroy your lawn, they are harmless to humans, so it is important to examine any areas that show signs of grub damage. The holes they eat through the grass roots make the turf soft and able to peel back easily. Reach out for professional help immediately if you notice any of these signs and if you want to learn simple steps on how you can determine if your lawn is dying because of over watering or bluegrass weevls, go ahead and give this blog a quick read.
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