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Grubs wreak havoc, but they can be
controlled
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If
parts of your lawn lift off like a toupee, grubs have been at work
chewing grass roots. Grubs are larvae of Japanese (and related)
beetles. The beetles lay eggs in turf from mid- to late summer, and
the eggs hatch into grubs that feed on grass roots. Cold weather
drives the grubs deep into the soil, but they surface again in
spring before emerging as beetles.
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These caterpillar-like grubs --
fat and creamy white -- are usually curled up when you find them.
Incidentally, they're considered tasty morsels in certain parts of
the world.
Rather than killing grubs by eating them, you
could do them in by drenching your lawn with chemical pesticides.
But if you don't want to think twice before sitting or walking
barefoot on your lawn, there are several natural ways to keep grubs
under control.
In Japan, the native home of Japanese
beetles, natural enemies are so effective that the beetles are not
even considered pests there. Two biological controls are milky spore
disease and predatory nematodes. They are available from Gardens
Alive! at 812-537-8650.
If you can establish either milky
spore or nematodes in your soil, control is long-lasting.
Unfortunately, milky spore will not survive where winters are
frigid.
An entomologist in Colorado devised a
straightforward, mechanical approach to killing grubs. Strap a pair
of long-spiked sandals to your shoes and stroll over your lawn. The
three-inch-long spikes skewer grubs in the soil. Studies showed that
a very thorough late spring or late summer stroll -- ensuring two
spike penetrations every square inch of soil -- killed 56 per cent
of the grubs.
A final approach to the grub problem is the
do-nothing approach. Populations of Japanese beetles and their grubs
fluctuate from year to year, and even in a given locale, there may
be pockets of heavy or light infestation. So do nothing and you
still might not have problems with grubs this year, or maybe ever
again.
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