Grubs in North Texas can be a major source of frustration. That’s because lawn damage by grubs can be serious and costly to repair. If you care about having the best lawn on the block, you’ll want to consider ways that you can protect your lawn from this destructive pest.
All of that starts by understanding what you’re dealing with. That’s why we’ll answer all of your most common questions about lawn grubs.
Jump to:
What Are Lawn Grubs
Signs of a Grub Infestation
How to Treat Grubs in North Texas
When to Treat Grubs in North Texas
DIY vs. Professional Grub Control
How Grassperson Handles Grub Problems
FAQ on Grubs in North Texas
Gain Peace of Mind
Identifying lawn grubs early on can be complicated since they’re a sub-surface pest (born in the soil). Unfortunately, most people spot damage to the lawn before they ever see a grub. We’ll talk about some of the signs of a grub infestation in our next section.
“Grubs” is a collective name for the larvae of beetles. In the North Texas region, our grub infestations are that of June Beetle grubs, properly known as Southern Masked Chafer grubs. They are the larvae of June Beetles, which most people simply call “June Bugs.”
Though adult June Bugs are a nuisance with their constant swarming around lights in the evening time, it’s really the larvae that pose a threat to your property. June Beetle grubs are white, c-shaped grubs that live underground. Grubs cause damage to the lawn by feeding on the grassroots. This can cause the turf to die in areas where grubs are feeding.
In our region, we also deal with moles, which feed on grubs as a primary food source. Grubs in North Texas can lead to moles in the yard, which can be even more problematic for some. When moles dig in the lawn for grubs, they can cause lots of damage.
Lawn damage by grubs typically looks like thin or brown patches in the lawn. As grubs feast on the grass roots, the lawn will die in these areas. That’s not to say that all brown spots are a sign of a grub infestation, but it’s definitely one possible clue. Brown spots can also be caused by drought, disease, and other types of pest activity.
A lawn that has been eaten by grubs will also detach from the ground easily since it’s no longer held down by roots. It might come up in handfuls or (even worse), could roll up like a carpet in areas.
Another sign of a lawn grub problem is increased animal activity on your lawn. An increased presence of birds or moles could mean that they are feasting on this pest. As we’ve mentioned, a lot of homeowners are more concerned about moles on their lawn than grubs.
Mole damage typically looks like raised volcano-shaped swellings in the yard. It doesn’t take that long for moles to ravage an otherwise healthy lawn with their incessant digging.
Grubs can be addressed with a curative product that kills them on contact. But this means waiting until you already have an issue which is not optimal. With a “wait and see” approach, you are putting your lawn at risk.
Preventing grub damage should be your primary goal.
You can prevent grubs in the first place with a preventative grub control product. Investing in preventative grub control can help protect the health and appearance of your lawn by not only preventing grubs from feeding on its roots but by keeping moles away.
Preventative grub control should be applied to the lawn during the spring season. The idea is to get these products down before grubs hatch. When grubs do hatch, they will come into contact with the product and die.
If you missed the window for preventative grub control applications and you wind up having a grub problem, you can still use curative products after they’ve hatched.
This after-the-fact method is typically a little more expensive than preventative treatment and may also require re-sodding damaged areas, if it wasn’t caught in time for the grass to recover on its own. Re-sodding can get costly which is why prevention is always ideal when possible.
DIY grub control products can include homemade concoctions (often using household ingredients like dish soap or neem oil) or store-bought products meant to be applied by the homeowner.
While these types of products sound good in theory, they simply aren’t going to be as effective as what a professional is using. Grubs in North Texas can be so highly destructive that it’s simply not worth risking an ineffective approach.
Homeowners also commonly apply products improperly or infrequently, contributing to the ineffectiveness.
In addition, many DIY approaches are curative, meaning that you have to wait until the grubs are already hatched to apply them. This puts your lawn at great risk. If you don’t spot a problem early or you wind up with moles in your yard, you’ll end up regretting that you didn’t focus on grub prevention.
Ultimately, taking a professional approach to grubs in North Texas is best. A pro will have commercial-grade products that will deliver the best results. They’ll know when to apply these products and will take the guesswork and hassle from your plate in the process.
As Benjamin Franklin is famous for saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—and this is certainly true when it comes to grub control. That’s because the curative treatment is more expensive and requires us to come out as an a la carte service.
In addition, if the problem wasn’t caught early and the grass is struggling to recover on its own, repairing damage with re-sodding can get even more expensive.
That’s why at Grassperson, we prefer to include grub prevention as part of our lawn care programs. This gives homeowners peace of mind that they don’t have to worry about lawn damage by grubs. It can also reduce the risk of mole damage by taking away a food source.
At Grassperson, preventative grub control is part of our Lawn Plus program.
Here are some of the questions that are most commonly asked in regard to grubs.
Lawn grubs are the larvae of beetles. They are white, c-shaped pests that are born in the soil and feast on grass roots. In the North Texas region, our grub infestations are from June Beetles, properly known as Southern Masked Chafer grubs.
Grub control is any approach designed to address lawn grubs. There are both preventative and curative products available. While preventative products are meant to be applied before grubs hatch (killing them in early stages), curative products can kill existing grubs on contact.
Grub control is one strategy to address moles but it will not get rid of an existing mole problem. If you already have moles in your yard, you might also require a mole control solution. Grub control can potentially limit moles in your yard by taking away one of their primary food sources. But it’s important to know that moles do eat other bugs that might be found in your yard, including worms.
Because grubs in North Texas can be an ongoing issue, annual grub control is recommended. Grubs have a one-year lifecycle but will continually return year after year. There is no rhyme or reason why grubs choose one yard over another. But because they can be such a destructive pest (as can moles and other creatures that dig for them), a grub prevention strategy is best.
When applied properly, grub control is safe. In general, usually the biggest worry with any lawn care product is during storage. You don’t want children or pets to ingest a stored lawn care product. This is a reason why hiring a professional to apply grub control is best.
Because grubs (and the pests that eat them) can be so destructive, grub control is an important service. Investing in grub prevention can be a lot less costly than having to repair a lawn that has been damaged by grubs or moles.
Hopefully this article has given you some helpful insight about grubs. At the end of the day, it is our recommendation to incorporate a program that is focused on protecting lawns from grubs so that you can gain valuable peace of mind.
With a preventative grub control strategy, you’ll have confidence that your lawn isn’t going to succumb to grub problems. Instead of having to worry about walking outside one day and spotting damage, you’ll be able to gain confidence that your lawn will go on looking and performing its best because it’s in good hands.
Though Texas lawn pests like grubs and moles can be quite destructive, they won’t have much of a chance to damage your lawn if it is being protected by a professional. That means you can go back to having that picture-perfect lawn you love.
Want to stop worrying that grubs will lead to damage on your North Texas lawn? Get a free quote and get ready to enjoy the best lawn on the block.
Image sources: lawn grub, mole