A lawn grub spray is a useful tool for maintaining your garden and keeping it healthy and green. You can eliminate grub infestation by applying an effective spray to the grass in your lawn. The best time to use it is when grubs are small. However, it can also be applied later when damage is visible, or signs of grub infestation appear.
Before moving to the solution, read about Grubs and how they can damage your soil.
What Are Grubs?
They are C-shaped, small larvae of several bug species, such as June bugs or Beetles. Usually, grubs hatch during fall and they stay hidden in winter months and end their hibernation phase during the spring.
As spring arrives, they begin to consume plants and grass vigorously. Grubs continue to feed on your greens for a few months until the larva is matured. Later, they start laying eggs in the soil to create a new generation of Grubs to feast on your plants.
How Grubs Can Damage Soil?
Grubs generally consume dead plant matter, but they also feed on root systems of numerous plants. Roots are considered as the foundation of a plant’s health. Hence, plants become stunted, stressed and highly susceptible of diseases when the roots are fed by the grubs. In fact, heavy infestations of these bugs can even lead to plant death.
Here are some signs to identify grub damage in your garden:
1. Yellow Grass
If you see your grass is turning yellow and spongy, then it means grubs are present in your lawn.
2. Presence of Different Pest Species
Raccoons, skunks and other pests love consuming grubs and they can destroy your plants and garden searching for their prey. This damage will be difficult to fix and more expensive than the grub damage itself.
3. Number of Moths and Beetles Increasing
An increased number of moths or beetles flying near the grass signifies a serious grub problem in the lawn.
4. Drought Appearance
Instead of watering regularly, if your plants or grass looks drought-stricken; grubs could be the problem. Remember that, overwatering the plant at this stage won’t fix it.
5. Patchy, Brown Grass
Before turning yellow, the affected grass becomes brown and patchy. You can see this damage in random spots throughout the yard.
It is hard to identify the symptoms of grub damage when the signs resemble other problems as well, like drought. However, you will be able to stop the damage in time by keeping an eye on the above-mentioned indicators.
One effective and easy way to address this issue is investing in grub prevention sprays.
Things To Consider While Buying Grub Spray
The good news is that; there is a wide variety of grub sprays available in the hardware stores and deciding the right one can be difficult. The below factors must be taken into consideration while buying one.
1. Select the Treatment
Both preventative and curative grub sprays are available in the marketplace. The best time to prevent grubs no matter where you live is in late May or June. Curative treatment is applied after grub eggs are hatched. This treatment generally stays active in the soil for a short period. Curative treatments work by killing and controlling grubs in the lawn. It is applied during late summers and fall. There are combination products also available.
2. The Type of Sprayer
Select a lawn grub spray that is easy and safe to apply. A sprayer with a hose on the nozzle gives you better control and helps prevent over-spraying. You can physically carry the sprayer and spray it easily in your lawn. The leftover chemical can remain in the spray bottle for the next use.
3. Check the Active Ingredient
Before buying, make sure the sprays are specific to grub infestations. For choosing the right lawn grub spray, it is always important to look for the active ingredient in the spray for best results. Different sprays use different active ingredients, and some are more effective than others. Some of the common active ingredients effective in killing grubs are Dylox, Trichlorfon, and Imidacloprid.
4. Works in Controlling Other Pests
Read the label to determine if the grub spray is also effective in killing and controlling a wide range of pests such as fleas, ticks, and cockroaches. However, a spray that kills and controls grubs and other pests for the full season will be an ideal choice for any lawn.
5. Safe for the Environment
Take care of the lawn with a grub spray that gives adequate plant protection but at the same time has the least effect on the environment. A grub spray that contains the safest insecticides and is safe for pets, people and the environment will be an ideal pick.
6. Price
Lastly, you must also take into consideration the price. You can choose the grub spray that suits your pocket and works effectively in controlling grubs.
Summary
If you want your lawn to remain lush and green using the right lawn grub spray is extremely important. Even if you do not have grubs in your yard, using the spray as a preventive measure will protect your lawn from infestation.