There are some things you need to know about treating for grubs.
You'll need to understand the life cycle of a grub before you choose what to use to kill it. For these pests, life begins in June/July when the eggs get laid in the soil. A week or two later, they hatch and start their lives as grubs where they continue to grow until late Spring/Early Summer. At this point the grub will pupate, leave the soil only to lay more eggs. (*It's important to note that Springtime grubs are full sized and are about to pupate and leave the soil to begin mating. Treating for grubs during this time isn't the best use of your hard earned dollars, as there are better times to treat the lawn.) Sure, you can kill them in the early season but in most cases the damage that they cause shouldn't be very visible due to the flush of new foliage.
There are two methods/classifications on how to kill these root destroying creatures...
- Preventative
- Curative
Preventative is when you treat your lawn for the newly hatched grubs and curative is treating the lawn for adult grubs. We recommend using one of these two products for Preventative treatment with applications going down from May-June.
- This systemic pesticide is called a Neonicotinoid
- It must be immediately watered in with 1/2" of irrigation
- It is absorbed by the roots, grubs eat it and lose their appetite, only to starve to death
- Must be applied and watered in before the eggs hatch
- .6 fl oz/1000 ft2 once a year and provides about 4 months of protection
- No Pets or People should be allowed on the lawn until dried
- Do not apply to flowering plants
Acelepryn Granules or Acelepryn Liquid
- Another systemic pesticide
- It must be watered in with at least 1/2" of irrigation
- It is absorbed by the plant roots, grubs eat it and lose muscle regulation becoming paralized and leading to death
- Provides about 3 months of protection
- Comes in granules or liquid. granules go out at 1.5-2 lbs/1000ft2 and liquid goes out at .18-.37 fl oz/1000ft2
Curative treatment is treating grubs that have reached the third instar stage of development, or "adult grubs". This would be about the September/October timeframe and preventative treatments no longer work at this stage of their lives. Here's my recommendation...
- Dylox 6.2 is a granular formulation that works fast
- Works by inhibiting the breakdown of an enzyme that regulates the proper functioning of the insects nervous system
- This goes down at 3 lbs of product/ 1000ft2
- Very short lived in the soil
- Needs immediate irrigation but do not allow to run off
- Treats and kills grubs in Sept/Oct
For quick root repair, don't forget to add a root growth stimulant! Here are a couple of nice combos.
16-21-2 GreenePOP Starter with liquid aeration and RGS
0-0-1 RGS Root Growth Bio-Stimulant, Sea Kelp
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