Tuff Lawn Lawn Service

• General Lawn Care
• Seasonal Tips
• Services
• Weed Control
• Why Fertilize?
• Crabgrass Control

• Anti Desiccant Sprays
• Root Feeding
• Insect / Disease Care Programs
• Deer Repellant

• Lawn Insects
• Lawn Diseases
• Other Problems

There are several types of white grubs that feed on the roots of lawn grasses. All of them can cause severe damage if left untreated. They live and feed in the soil. It’s easy to miss them as they gradually cut the roots out from under your lawn until brown patches begin to appear and the grubs are finally discovered. Pull back the turf if you suspect grubs. If the lawn pulls up easily, you may find white grubs in the top inch or so in the soil. Grubs are the larval or worm state of many types of beetles. The beetles lay their eggs in the lawn, and the newly hatched worms work their way through the thatch and into the soil, where they feed on roots of grass plants. Most beetles lay their eggs in mid to late summer and the young grubs do their greatest damage during the fall months. As the weather cools, most grubs burrow deeper into to the soil for the winter. They then return to the surface to feed again as the soil warms in the spring. After this spring feeding, the grubs pupate into adult beetles and begin the cycle again.

Don’t Wait
Grubs don’t disappear on their own. They should be treated before damage begins to appear or as soon as they are discovered. When discovered early enough in the year, a preventative treatment can be applied. When damage appears in the fall, a fast acting curative treatment is needed. A preventative application can be done in June/July using merit this will prevent the feeding of grubs on your lawn.

There are several chinch bugs that attack turfgrasses in North America. The hairy chinch bug, Blissus leucopterus hirtus Montandon, is the most commonly encountered pest of northern turfgrasses though the common chinch bug, Blissus leucopterus leucopterus Say, is occasionally found. These closely related pests are very difficult to separate in the field and most people identify them by locality and type of food plants.   Inspecting For Chinch Bugs Scout turf on sunny days by slowly sliding your foot through the sod and watching for the bugs to crawl across your shoe. You can also determine infestations by using a large coffee can or gallon can with both ends removed. Press one end of the can about 2 or 3 inches into the soil, fill with soapy water, and watch for about 5 minutes. If chinch bugs are present, they will float to the surface. (This test will also bring molecrickets to the surface) It is very important to check areas where the yellowish spots and the green grass meet in several different locations.

Small, beige adult webworm moths start flying over lawn areas during early summer. If lots of sod webworm moths are observed in the evening, watch for damage in about 10 to 14 days. This is when their eggs begin to hatch into caterpillars. These caterpillars chew off the grass blades close to the soil surface leaving brown stubble as damage. Early August is typically when we see the heaviest damage, although sometimes damage is also heavy in June. Insecticides should be applied to the surface of damaged areas.