The phantoms come out of the shadows every spring on unprepared lawns. You can bet your lawn mower on it.
They announce their buggy and weedy selves without warning. One day you have a seemingly weedless lawn. The next day they are seemingly everywhere. Grubs and weeds often appear out of nowhere, instantly dulling the beauty and health of your lawn. Like dandelions crashing a rose garden party, grubs and weeds spoil an otherwise gorgeous yard.
Unfortunately, the damage is intense and far just aesthetic. Grubs (a type of scarab beetle which lay eggs in lawns and burying eggs deep beneath the soil surface in the spring) cause unusual and unique damage to lawns because they feed on and damage grass underground at the root level. When grass’ root system is compromised, it can’t sufficiently intake water and nutrients. Grass can’t grow rich and lush under these conditions. By fall, randomly shaped dead patches of grass can develop throughout your yard.
All it takes is a handful of grub worms to burrow deep harm into your lawn.
Telltale Signs of a Lawn at Risk of Grub and Weeds
Remember, grubs (which are plump, C-shaped pests with six legs, whitish bodies and brownish heads) and weeds don’t post 30-day notices of their pending arrival or loudly announce themselves before they move into your lawn with weedy authority.
Here are telling signs of a lawn at risk of developing grubs and weeds:
- Are There Moths or Beetles Flying Around At Grass Level?
- Are Animals Hanging Out and Feeding in Your Grass?
- Are There Any Brown Patches in Your Lawn?
- Have You Actually Seen Grubs in Your Yard?
- Does Your Grass Feel Bouncy/Loose Underfoot?
- Does Grass Have Severe Damage, Such as Full-On Turf Detachment?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, it’s time to address your grub and weed problem before they take over your lawn. Contact us today for a consult.
For without a grub control treatment, your grass will die.
How to Get Grubs and Weeds under Quick Control
The first rule of eradicating grubs and wees from your lawn is: Don’t Wait. Act Now. Keep your lawn free of dead plant debris, a delicacy food for young grubs. Also, overseed your grass this month and this fall to help thicken your lawn and prevent beetles from laying larve eggs.
Creekside Turf Management recommends trying a new grub eradicating product called Acelepryn. This top line fertilizer and insecticide combination is environmentally friendly and targets grubs feeding on lawns. It does not harm the honey bee population while still protecting your yard against grubs and other pests. By starting application in of Acelepryn in May and continuing into June we are blanketing lawns with weed control. Make sure to keep all people and pets off freshly applicated lawns until the herbicide has dried.
Applications in May and trickle into June. With this application we are also blanketing lawns with weed control. Please keep in mind that ALL people and pets need to stay off of freshly applicated lawns until the herbicide has dried.
Other Spring Lawn Health Tips
Spring is the ideal time to ensure your lawn remains lush and strong through summer and fall. Irrigation is a great way to improve the health of your lawn. If you have irrigation, this is not the time to be running it. Irrigation can actually make the problem worse by promoting fungus.
When mowing your yard, be sure to mow no shorter than three inches. The shorter you mow, the harder grass has to fight to recover. Buzzed cut grass has to use more nutrients, which shorten its lifespan. However, double cutting in May when grass begins to take off improves the overall health and appearance of lawns. Double-cutting creates beautiful lines but also helps mulch up the excess thatch and disperses it better through the lawn.
Remember, an undetected grub and weed infestation can lead to quick, widespread lawn damage. Know both the early warning signs of grubs and weeds and the quick treatment techniques that can keep them from wreaking havoc on your lawn this summer.
