It can be disheartening to see your hard-earned landscape loses its beauty due to natural causes. But it is even more frustrating if grubs cause it in the garden. Grubs are white C-shaped, soft-bodied creatures with legs near their heads. You can easily spot them by their brown head and three pairs of legs. They like feasting on grassroots under the soil surface. Those pesky pests may be the larvae of masked chafers or of May and June beetles. When they appear from the soil as beetles, they mate and lay eggs causing more grubs to hatch in your soil. The following are some signs to look out for to prevent grubs in the garden from further wreaking havoc.
Brown Spots
The most obvious signs of a grub infestation are brown spots. Look out for those patches that never turn green, even when most of your plants already did. The dead patches may be caused by grubs feeding on your soil. Grubs in the garden usually hatch during the Fall season. At this stage, they are most destructive since they feed on grassroots. You can check for the infestation by lifting a piece of your lawn. You will know if grubs cause the brown patches if it rolls up like a carpet. Once you pull up the turf, you will see that it has no roots anymore. Of course, brown spots are not always from a grub attack. It may also happen because of extreme weather. Before you proceed with any treatment, ensure that grubs indeed cause the brown patches.
Animal-favorite spots
If you notice animals like birds, raccoons, skunks, or moles who keep on tearing back the same spot in your lawn, it may be because of grubs in the garden. These animals eat grubs. By tearing in your garden, they are trying to uncover the grubs residing just below the grass surface. Be wary though, make sure that it is grubs that they are preying on. These animals can also dig and eat earthworms. Earthworms are your friends since they help to maintain your soil’s health.
Spongy soil
If you notice your soil getting spongy after watering your lawn, this may signal grubs in the garden. It may not be easy to identify, unlike brown spots. You can test the sponginess of your soil by checking out if your foot leaves an impression on it. Grubs in the garden can damage the root systems of your lawn. It can result in your soil becoming less dense and springy.
Presence of beetles
Be on the lookout for beetles during late summer. It is the time when beetles lay their eggs. You may notice them flying over surfaces of your garden. They are doing this to canvass the area and find a thriving part where they can lay their babies. A healthy lawn will be a good source of food for grubs once they hatch. An infestation is already happening if you notice unusual activity on your grass. It is the hatchlings feeding themselves.
Take Note
Before you do any rash treatments in your soil, it is essential to remember that grubs can be healthy. Check out the number of grubs present when you investigate several sections of your sod. If there are 0-5 grubs in one square foot and approximately three inches deep sod, you need not worry. With that amount of grubs, significant damages await your lawn. If your lawn is relatively healthy and there are 6 to 9 grubs, there is no need to treat it. However, the presence of the same number of grubs in a not-so-healthy lawn may require treatment, especially if animals start tearing up your grass. Lastly, the presence of more than ten grubs in your soil is a signal that you may need a more intense action plan.
Grubs in the garden can be a pain to handle but fret not, as you can prevent them from infesting your lawn. You can fertilize and mulch your soil to make it less ideal for grubs. Also, keep your lawn at least two inches high. It will prevent beetles from laying their eggs there since they prefer grasses that are cut short. Regularly aerating soil will also prevent grub infestation. Beetles like to lay their eggs on compacted and undisturbed soil. And when you water your lawn, be sure to do it sparingly. Remember also to soak the ground to encourage your grass to grow stronger and deeper roots. Now that you know the signs and the preventive measures you can take, you can count grub infestations out of your landscaping worries.
