Lawn Pest Control: Tackling Grubs & Other Common Lawn Pests in Memphis, TN & North MS

Common lawn pests like grubs can wreak havoc on your lawn.

You’re certainly better off not coming face to face with these bugs. They are pretty gross.

They are also sneaky. Why? There’s no way you can tell when they attack your lawn because they do their dirty work underground where you can’t see them.

In fact, your grass can look just fine on the surface, while grubs are eating away at the lawn roots. And this can make your lawn look bad by cutting off the pathways of water and nutrients it needs to thrive.

Since grubs can devastate your lawn in Memphis, TN and North MS, we thought we’d share some lawn grub control strategies you can use to battle these bugs and get your great green lawn back to good health.

A Look At Lawn Grubs

Learning how to get rid of lawn grubs starts with understanding more about these nasty insects that attack your grass roots.

If you have ever heard of Japanese beetles, the northern masked chafer, or June bugs, then you know what white grubs are. These fat, C-shaped, white pests are the larvae of these adult beetles.

In fact, if you see Japanese beetles crawling around your roses or other plants, then that could be a sign they are laying eggs in your grass nearby. And those eggs turn into the white grubs that feed on your lawn all summer and fall. As temperatures get cooler before winter, they burrow deeper into your soil. In spring, they awaken and resume their feeding of your lawn until they emerge as adult beetles in late spring.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Here are more details you need to know about grubs and lawn grub control.

Look For Signs Of Grub Damage

Maybe you’re not sure you need lawn grub control. After all, if these pests are hard to spot since they do damage underground, you could have a hard time figuring out if they are actually causing you trouble.

There are a few things you can look for, though, that can signal you have a grub problem.

First, is your lawn underperforming? If it’s not growing strong in May or you see yellow or brown spots or dead patches, this could be a sign you need lawn grub control.

A lawn that is infested with grubs can also feel loose like it’s not connected to the ground. In fact, if you try to pull it up, it might come similar to a carpet that isn’t tacked down. This is a sure sign of grub damage since it shows the roots may not be connected to the soil. If you walk on your lawn, when it has grubs it may also feel spongy.

The other problem with lawn grubs is that they are juicy protein stacks for animals like birds, raccoons, moles, and skunks. So you might see these animals digging up your lawn to get to these “treats.”

Understand How Grubs Feed

Knowing how grubs operate can help you better grasp lawn grub control.

In spring, grubs wake up from winter hibernation. They dig their way up from deep in the soil to just beneath the grass surface and begin to feed on your lawn’s root system. But because your grass is vigorously growing in the spring, it’s less likely that you’ll see damage.

Then, later in spring the larvae pupate in the ground and emerge in early-summer as flying beetles. Some species like Japanese Beetles feed during the day and are more obvious. Others only feed at night. You could have a large infestation and not see grubs feeding on the leaves of your crepe myrtles or other desirable plants.

As the flying adults feed, they also mate and deposit eggs in lawn areas and landscape beds. In late summer and early fall, newly hatched grubs begin to feed on lawn root systems. This is where major damage occurs as lawns cannot keep up with it as the hot, dry summer weather in Memphis, TN and North MS additionally weakens it.

Know The Damage Grubs Bring

Grubs are pretty hungry pests and can do quite a bit of damage. Once you discover grubs, there are varying levels of infestations you could have, depending on how long you’ve had the problem and how many grubs are there.

The best-case scenario is there are a minimal amount of grubs that have been eating your grass roots, and your lawn can bounce back if it gets enough water.

The worst-case – and usually most likely – scenario is you have dead patches of grass and after lawn grub control, you also have to aerate and overseed your lawn to boost its health and fill in the dead patches, helping to bring it back to life and replace areas that are beyond repair.

How to Get Rid of Lawn Grubs

Now you get the picture that grubs are pretty nasty insects. Once they move into your lawn, they don’t leave, and they can cause damage to multiple areas of the plant – as larvae and adults.

Now that you know some lawn grub facts, let’s talk about how you can use lawn grub control to help.

Grubs Are a Fairly Common Occurrence in Memphis, TN and North MS

Unfortunately, nearly everyone has some grubs in their lawn and may need lawn grub control here.

But there can be light years and heavy years of infestation based on the weather and whether or not you’ve tried to control them.

Knowing the following facts can help ensure better control.

Lawn Grub Control Timing Is Key

The key to lawn grub control is to battle them in their early stages or even before they hatch so they don’t have a chance to cause serious damage to your lawn.

This means prevention is your best bet. This is best done with a preventative treatment to your lawn.

DIY Grub Control Is Unpredictable

Sure, do-it-yourself lawn grub control can be successful, but you have to do everything right in the process.

Doing everything right means understanding this specific pest, its life cycle, and what signs and symptoms to look for to ensure you have a problem and aren’t applying products unnecessarily.

Next, you have to know what insect control product to purchase and how much to use based on the size of your lawn and the level of infestation you’re facing. This can be challenging. You have to know the square footage of your lawn and how much product will cover it.

Then, you need the right equipment – a lawn spreader. And you must calibrate it properly so it spreads the product evenly throughout your lawn.

Finally, you have to apply a lawn grub control product during the right time frame so you’re catching the grubs when they are small.

If you don’t get the right amount of insect control product down at the right rate at the right time, your treatment won’t be effective, and you may have wasted a lot of time and money. Plus, not all of the active ingredients in the grub control products you find at the home improvement store are the best options. Some of the best ingredients are usually only available to professional lawn care companies.

Good Lawn Grub Control Takes Proper Planning

Lawn grub control is best accomplished with a complete, proactive lawn care program.

Lawn & Pest Solutions sees many common lawn pests in customers’ lawns, including pillbugs, spittlebugs, mites, chinch bugs, and armyworms, in addition to grubs.

We believe in an integrated pest management approach, meaning we’ll inspect your lawn for pest problems and then recommend applications on an as-needed basis or during times when we see the highest insect pressure.

Plus, we offer other lawn care services, such as fertilization and weed control, that can enhance your lawn’s health and bring it back from grub damage. While we’re on your property taking care of your lawn, we will continue to monitor for grubs to make sure they stay away.

Eager to Get Rid of Common Lawn Pests Like Grubs? Trust Lawn & Pest Solutions

In your Memphis, TN or North MS lawn, the last thing you want to see are ugly brown patches in your lawn or discolored and spongy grass.

You have enough to worry about. Who has time to look for small, white, C-shaped bugs crawling in your soil?

If you want to eliminate grubs and make better plans for your weekend, try professional lawn care in Memphis, TN and North MS. Effective grub control treatments can save you time, money, and – most importantly – your lawn’s appearance and health.

Ready to learn why Lawn & Pest Solutions could be your choice for grub control services in Memphis, TN and North MS? We’re excited to learn more about you and help you have the best lawn on the block. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we can prepare a customized plan that is perfect for you and your lawn.

Image Source | Grub Larvae