Lawn Care and Treating Grubs
Grubs can cause noticeable damage to a lawn so care must be taken to treat the problem as soon as possible. Symptoms of grub infestation can appear as wilting or dying grass and a significant increase in activity of birds and other wildlife. There may even be holes where small animals have tried to dig up the grubs. Infestations can appear from spring to fall but especially in dry spells. Check for the grubs before treating the area as there could very well be another cause. They should be easily spotted underneath the turf or top soil so then it is relatively simply to treat.
Care for a lawn that is infested with grubs begins with verifying what sort of insect is present. White grubs are the larvae of various beetles and are fat, white and curved into a C shape. They can have brown heads and six legs and live under the soil for two years before becoming a winged adult so treating them can only be successful during warm times when the grubs are feeding. Treatment and care of a lawn with grubs is easily achieved as long as all of the infested areas are treated.
Lawn Care that Prevents Grubs
An important way to care for a lawn is to foresee and prevent the infestation of grubs. Prevention is better than cure and can pre-empt any damage from grubs and also extra care required for the lawn. Bacteria which cause milky spore disease can be used to prevent an infestation of grubs. The bacteria only affect white grubs and do not cause damage to the rest of the lawn so it basically takes care of any white grubs that may begin to feed on the lawn. These bacteria can remain active in the soil for years and is extremely effective as long as it is placed on the lawn before an infestation. If the grubs are already on the lawn, it will take months for the bacteria to take care of them and rid the lawn of the infestation.
Nematodes are microscopic worms that are present in soil which prey on larvae such as white grubs. They are also a safe and natural way to kill grubs even though they are so tiny. They find grubs or other insects and enter its victims body before emitting a poison which kills the insect within two days. The Nematode then reproduces and the offspring live on the host insect before leaving to repeat the process. These are much better options than using chemical treatments.
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