Lawn grubs are the larvae of various scarab beetle species, such as Japanese Beetles, June Bugs, and Masked Chafers. Grubs hatch from the eggs of these adult beetles and immediately begin to feed on the roots of your grass. In Indiana, grubs will do some light feeding on your lawn's root system, but this is not enough to notice any damage. However, as the weeks pass and the late summer months approach, grubs will begin to aggressively feed on your roots, causing extensive damage in a short amount of time. Signs of grub damage include spongy grass, yellow to brown patches of grass, and an increased level of wildlife activity in your yard.

At Grow Pros Lawn Care, LLC, our team provides preventative and curative grub control treatments to curb the damage on your lawn. It is best to use preventative treatments to stop the problem before it even begins.

Signs of Grub Damage Include Spongy Grass, Increased Wildlife, & Brown Patches

Spongy grass

One of the tell-tale signs of a grub infestation is a spongy feeling beneath your feet when you walk on your lawn. Grubs feed on the roots of your grass, which causes your grass blades to become unanchored from your soil. This is what causes the "spongy" feeling. If you notice this happening, check beneath the affected areas. If you can pull up an area of your grass easily as if it is lifting like a carpet, grubs are the culprit. It is best to contact a lawn care company like ours to begin treatments as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

Increased wildlife in the yard

Another sign of grubs is an increased activity of wildlife in your yard like skunks, raccoons, moles, armadillos, and birds looking to feed off of them. Skunks and raccoons dig up lawns at night while searching for grubs to eat. These animals could tear your grass and plant beds, leaving behind holes, caverns, craters, and tunnels by burrowing underneath the sod to get their grub meal. It is important to note that increased wildlife does not necessarily mean that you have a grub problem, however, it is one sign that could point to grubs.

Yellow to brown patches

Another indication of grub damage is large, irregular-shaped, yellow to brown patches of grass throughout your lawn. Just like increased wildlife, yellow/brown patches do not always mean you have grubs. It could be an indication of a few different lawn issues, so it is best to contact a professional team like ours so we can identify the problem and curate a solution. To get a better idea of if you have a grub infestation, pull up a section of brown grass. If it lifts easily and you notice 10 or more grubs beneath your grass, you will need curative grub treatments.

If you encounter browning areas that don't recover or are completely bare or thin due to grub damage, a lawn care company like ours can help overseed your lawn.

How to Prevent Grub Damage

It is best to preventatively treat for grubs so you can preserve and protect your lawn from grub infestation. Preventative treatments are essential because they get rid of grubs before they hatch. This means that these treatments need to be applied in the early summer months. If you waited too long this year, you can always opt for curative treatments if you begin to notice their damage on your lawn. However, it is important to note that curative treatments will only stop grubs from causing further damage. They cannot reverse the damage that has already been done to your lawn. Every property owner should include a preventative grub treatment as part of their lawn care routine to prevent the headache of reversing grub damage.

Protect your lawn from damage this summer. Call for preventative grub treatments today!

Preventative grub treatments will prevent grubs from ever hatching in your soil and causing extensive damage to your lawn. At Grow Pros Lawn Care, LLC, we make sure to apply our treatments in June to eliminate the grubs before they hatch. However, if you missed out on preventative treatments this year, we also provide curative treatments and will work with you to come up with a plan to nurse your lawn back to health.

Our company offers preventative and curative grub treatments for residential and commercial properties in Elkhart, Granger, South Bend, and surrounding areas in northern Indiana. Call us today at (574) 326-3526 to schedule a consultation and let us know how we can help!