Destructive Cycle
If you are unfamiliar with Japanese beetles, they are insects that will feed on your leaves, flowers, fruit, and any other plants in your lawn. Knowing the life stages that Japanese beetles go through each season is important because it allows you to know what months they may be active in your lawn.
When Japanese beetles lay eggs in the soil, the eggs turn into larvae know as grubs. These eggs usually hatch towards the end of summer or early fall. When they hatch they will begin to feed on your lawns root system, causing brown areas to occur and completely killing that area of grass.
It is important to note that grubs do not hatch all of their eggs in the soil on the same day, it can be over a period of time. Therefore, preventive treatment is very beneficial because it works to eliminate the different generations of grubs over that period of time.
If not treated, in the winter they will go into hibernation and bury themselves in the soil. When spring begins again, they will make their way towards the top of the soil and eventually turn into Japanese beetles, starting the destructive cycle all over again.
The Importance Of Preventive Grub
One benefit to preventive grub control is saving money. Grub prevention is significantly less expensive than a grub curative treatment to rid your lawn of them once they're active.
Products used to prevent grub damage on an annual basis are also recommended because it is more effective treating grubs before they do damage, compared to trying to control the different generations that may appear again and again over time.
Another benefit of preventive grub control is keeping your lawn from the costly damage that they can cause. Controlling these insects yearly will save you from having to spend your time and money reseeding grub damaged areas of your turf, that can often be very costly. Because grubs feed on the root system of the lawn, in most cases the damage they cause kills the plant so reseeding will be necessary to help those areas recover.
How Often Do You Apply Preventive Grub?
Preventive grub control should be applied once a year. Annual measures should be taken proactively to help control and prevent grub damage.
If any Japanese beetles have laid their eggs in your lawn’s soil over that last year, come fall, you could be looking at some serious grub and lawn damage. This can come in the form of animals digging up your yard in search for grubs, dead patches, spongy areas, and areas that appear as loose carpet. If you are not sure whether it is grub damage, you can pull up some of your lawn and look for the larvae in the soil.
Most of the grub control you’ll find today—including products available in stores—is pre-emergent. These are usually applied in the months of June or July. These preventative products are very important to include in your yearly service, even if you have not had a history of grubs in your lawn. These are intended to guard against future generations of grubs versus getting rid of any current infestation.
Trust The Pros
Knowing how to prevent grub problems in Massachusetts is only part of the battle. If you choose to not do a preventive treatment on your lawn and find yourself with a grub problem, you will need to use a curative treatment. In this case, Dylox is recommended to kill grubs as well as other insects that can cause destruction to your lawn. Keep in mind, this process can be a lot more expensive.
Save yourself and your lawn the trouble of an infestation and make sure to add preventive grub control in your annual service.
If you're looking for more information on lawn care in the North Shore area or are simply ready to speak with someone about your lawn care needs, go to www.GrassmasterPlus.com or call 978-769-3595 for a free quote today!