It can be totally mystifying trying to figure out what lawn care program is best for your yard. No two lawns are exactly alike, and aside from the varying mixtures of plants they hold, each has its own personality.
There’s a lot to stay on top of when taking care of your lawn. You’ve got to mow, rake, water, shovel, cultivate, and all the other tasks involved in keeping your yard looking great. Putting in all that work and still seeing brown patches of grass is a definite disappointment, but as it turns out, they may not be your fault.
Instead, persistent brown patches – especially those that recur during the spring or summer – are likely to be the work of grubs. Grubs are beetle larvae that are shaped like the letter C and hatch from eggs laid deep within soil. There, they have direct access to grass roots, which are their favorite food.
Grubs spend the entire warm part of the year doing little more than seeking nutrients, so that’s when they’re the most voracious for your precious grass roots. As the season changes and it becomes cooler, they stop eating temporarily and hibernate for the entirety of winter and into early spring, until it is warm again, when they reemerge and begin feasting once more. At the end of this second cycle, instead of another hibernation, the grubs pupate and become adult beetles.
There are two primary signs to look for that can be indicative of a grub infestation in a lawn. Any area of grass where they are eating will invariably die as a result of having its roots destroyed, which will cause it to appear brown and take on a mushy texture – not to be confused with crunchy yellow grass, which is merely in a dormant state. Grass damaged by grubs will be soft enough to lift right off the soil; doing so may allow you to see the grubs yourself. Another sign is when uncommonly-seen animals start to visit your yard – raccoons, skunks, and moles digging into your lawn may be looking for grubs there.
If you believe your grass is being harmed by grubs, we can help. Contact us today and speak with one of our Nexperts, who will evaluate your situation and provide professional advice. If we confirm that grubs are in your lawn, we’ll talk about next steps and how we can help to control future grub populations, getting you on the road to having a healthy, beautiful, green lawn.
