Got Grubs?

I was building a patio this summer at my house and I was removing the sod and digging trenches I came across a few of these.

What is that, you ask? It's a Japanese Beetle. It seems like I have seen a lot more of these than usual this summer in the state of Iowa. I was unable to locate any data to support this other than just an observation.


Have you seen any of these in your lawn or plants? If you have, don't ignore them because what they can leave behind in your lawn can be very damaging to your lawn, and could wreak havoc on your pocket book.
 
You see, these Japanese beetles lay eggs in your lawn and when the life cycle of the larvae begins they look like "C" shaped white bugs, better know as grubs (right picture).

They do most of their feeding in the late summer and source of food is your lawns root system. And the problem is you usually don't notice the results of the damage until in the winter or next spring. If you're soil pulls up too easy, there is a good chance you have an issue with grubs.

In addition, if you water your lawn frequently this may mask the warning signs until it's too late. Irrigation promotes a healthy environment for grubs to survive, in addition it also allows your lawn to stay green giving the appearance of a healthy lawn and that there is no issue below the surface. So, like many other things I always talk about when it comes to lawn care, be proactive instead of reactive. Meaning, set your annual lawn treatment schedule with grub control to prevent this from happening:

If you see the Japanese beetle lift up a couple random spots of your sod to see if any larvae has hatched in your lawn. All you need to do is lift up a few square foot samples. If you have less than 5 larvae per square foot, the damage will be pretty minimal, if any at all. If it is more than 10, you definitely need to get this treated. If it's between 5 and 10 it all depends on the health of your lawn. I'd personally error on the side of caution and get your lawn treated.

The best time to treat your lawn for grubs in Iowa is in July-August. As for my lawn, I dug up a couple areas and fortunately I didn't find too many more beetles in the samples and thankfully didn't see any larvae either. So, it appears my annual treatment for grubs has been effective.