Grubs in the soil are a common source of frustration for gardeners. These worms feed voraciously on roots as larvae and as adults when they transition into beetles that feast on leaves.
The sight of fat white worms wreaking havoc on your lawn and crop roots is not pretty.
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If you’ve found this post, you’re probably looking for an environmentally friendly solution to your grub problem.
You’ll be glad to know that there are several effective ways to get rid of bugs in your garden without endangering the plants.
What are grub worms?
Beetle larvae are nothing more than tiny insects. Yet, these little white worms can cause serious damage to your garden or lawn if not removed promptly.
They’ll start by chewing on your plants’ roots and then progress to your leaves. You should get rid of them as soon as you notice them on the lawn.
How you can prevent grub worms
Organic and cultural controls and knowing when to apply grub control chemicals are the first lines of defense against these pests.
First, inspect the grass for signs of adult beetles or other grub concerns. You should look out for the following warning signs of a grub infestation:
- Seeing worms while digging or landscaping
- Some stretches of dry grass
- The damage to a lawn or garden over time
- Damaged or brown grass
To get rid of insects such ants and grubs, start using methods that work right away, like milky spore and natural remedies, like dish soap diluted in water or neem oil.
Does overwatering cause grubs?
A grub infestation may have several origins. Allowing the soil to become too wet from over-watering is a common contributor.
Because grubs prefer wet environments, this is perfect for their growth and development. Using chemical herbicides and pesticides is another major factor in grub infestations.
Fungi and pests are the last things anyone wants to see on their healthy, green lawn. Beware of overwatering your grass to keep it looking its best.
Your automatic sprinklers should be set to water your lawn once a week, for at most an inch or 2 once a week. Water in the morning, not the evening, to prevent fungal growth.
Keeping up with the right mowing and fertilizer application is also essential. Be cautious when operating the sprinklers since too much water can kill the grass.
Do grubs come back every year?
Grubs can be found on lawns all around the world every year. Baby worms consume a lot of food when they first hatch. The grub’s peak feeding period is in the fall, and as they age and consume less food, the grub population declines.
On the contrary, grubs cease feeding right before they complete their metamorphosis into beetles.
Typically, grub damage starts in the spring and peaks in the summer. In other words, this could be a recurring issue that gives you migraines year after year if you don’t practice good grub treatment using grub management.
What is the best time to treat for grubs?
Somewhere between the beginning of spring and the end of summer, when there is more grub activity on the lawn, is when you should use a grub killer or a grub preventer.
Before the pests hatch, preventative treatments against grubs should occur between June and July. In the meantime, apply grub killers in the spring (late March to late April) or when there is evident damage to the lawn.
Apply a grub preventer in late spring or early summer, when the grubs turn into adults, to keep Japanese beetles away the next year.
Getting rid of grub worms in your lawn
- Entice birds to consume grub worms
While you should take precautions to safeguard your seeds from squirrels and in this case grubs, birds appetite for grubs is something we should take advantage of.
Attracting birds to your lawn may seem like a challenging task. The process is simple. Put a bird feeder near the trouble spots and watch the birds feast on the pests.
- It’s not always good to water your lawn
You’ll indeed need to water your grass regularly during the warmest months, and it just so happens that the eggs of these bugs hatch around the same time (early August). But you may avoid the issue by altering your watering routine.
Your lawn prefers a large amount of water all at once to a small amount daily. Without regular moisture, the eggs have a far lower likelihood of hatching.
- Do not mow your lawn
This is necessary for the grubs to burrow underground. Early in June, adult beetles emerge and begin laying their eggs.
They discover that doing so in tall grass is not particularly enjoyable. You can cut the grass, but leaving it somewhat long can discourage insects from using your yard as a breeding ground.
Is there a natural grub killer?
- Milky Spore
Typically, people will apply Milky Spore to get rid of grubs, a microbiological bacteria. Unfortunately, this method has two major drawbacks.
First, it can take years for the milky spore to generate enough helpful bacteria to eradicate these bugs.
Second, this method can only get rid of Japanese beetles. White grub beetle species are common in Texas; however, milky spore disease has not proven effective against them.
- Chickens and birds
Chickens and birds are the most effective predators of grub worms. Provide a home for feathered friends by building a coop for chickens, hanging bird feeders or suet log feeders. Pecking and foraging hens and birds will attack everything they discover in the soil, even beetle grubs.
- Soap and Water
The soap in the water will suffocate the grubs, and that will be enough to rid your lawn and garden of them. Make your own grub killer by mixing three teaspoons of organic liquid soap with 1 gallon of water.
But dish soap will do just fine if you use it on the lawn. Apply the mixture to the soil and lawn where the pests are.
- Garlic Spray
It turns out that many insects that prey on vegetable gardens avoid areas where garlic spray has been applied. As a result, you can keep your garden free of most pests by applying a spray made from garlic.
Reduce to pulp four garlic cloves in 1 cup of water for a homemade grub control spray. After that, let it sit for 24 hours.
Then, spray the solution around the plants after straining. Both grubs and other pests will be deterred in this way.
Is October too late to treat for grubs?
Using a treatment to kill grubs on the lawn now (late August to early October) will get rid of them in as little as one to three days. Most predators can’t find grubs in the lawn unless they are actively eating them, so they look elsewhere.
Applying grub control in the fall is important. August through October is prime feeding time for grubs.
How does dish soap get rid of grubs?
Dishwasher detergents are lethal to these delicate insects. This is because they suffocate them by destroying their cell membranes. Dish soap is lethal to grubs because the fluid coats them and prevents them from breathing.
Dish soap is effective at eliminating adult Japanese beetles from a lawn. Soap breaks down their exoskeletons and disrupts their cell membranes, killing the organisms. Suffocation results from being encased in a soapy blanket.
If you notice these in your lawn, gently spray the area with dish soap. Before they can lay their eggs, their number will be cut down with this treatment. This will make it easier to manage the infestation next year.
Keep those grub worms away from your garden
A serious problem for any farmer or gardener is the presence of grubs. Also, numerous approaches to coping with them make selection difficult.
By trying different things, you can find the best natural way to get rid of these garden and grass worms.