It looks like grubs munched on my lawn this summer (if you dig a patch of dirt there are quite a few of them).
So, I'm planning on over dressing my lawn and laying new seed.
Would it be helpful to lay grub control down first (to kill the grubs that are there), dress it and lay seed, or just wait until next year and start then.
Is it even too late to put grub control down (I live in coastal NH).
Thanks in advance for any advice.
-Kevin
It's obviously too late to use imidicloprid to prevent the problem, but it's not too late to go after the existing grubs. I don't know what's approved for use in your state, but a local gardening center will set you straight.
I would try to go after the grubs this fall and then worry about sorting the lawn out next spring. Grubs are root-feeders and to kill them you have to get the insecticide down to the rootzone of the grass plants. Make sure that you water in the application right away, or better still lay it down in the rain. If you topdress the lawn now it will make it that much tougher to get the insecticide down to the rootzone.
Check the lawn a couple of weeks after the application and see how many healthy grubs you have left. They are a tough insect to kill and normally a kill rate of 75% is very good. If you still have a serious infestation you will still have time to do a second application this fall.
Good luck.
Peter H
Grubs don't feed on roots during the winter. As temperatures decrease, they go deeper into the soil and become inactive until spring. As Peter pointed out, a general purpose insecticide like diazinon can still be used now and is worthwhile, as the grubs are still small and hence easier to kill.
While I'm not an entomologist, I'm not sure a cranefly qualifies as a grub. The term grub is generally used to describe the larvae of beetles, eg june bugs, japanese beetles, not flies. These are the larvae that are causing the majority of the problems in lawns in most of the US.
Here's a good link to an agricultural article describing grubs, their lifecycle and affect on turf:
well, I am an entomologist
I fixed it for you.
Where does it say grub?
I find that very hard to believe.
Peter H
Fix that...
Smoke less ganj...
What did you fix? It sounds like you need some help from a shrink.
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