Nothing ruins a healthy and beautiful garden faster than disease and insect infestation. The most detrimental effect is caused by chewing insects that feed on plants and turf causing them to have leaves that are slightly brownish in color.
White grubs remain the top insect of these chewing insects that can turn your beautiful lawn into a nightmare in a very short time. Most homeowners are frightened into applying grub prevention treatments because of advertisements or horror stories that they’ve heard about the level of damage grubs can cause. However, it’s not only white grubs they should be worried about. There are other turf-eating insects that can cause damage to your lawn, such as some pests like Army Worms, Sod Webworms, Billbugs, Chinch bugs, Common Crane Fly, Cranberry Girdler and so many more.
What’s a White Grub? White grubs are the pre-mature stage or larvae stage of some insects. They are C-shaped pests that are usually white with a brown head capsule. The raster or the tip of the abdomen is also usually brown in color. They look somewhat like caterpillars but unlike caterpillars, they lack abdominal prolegs. Ninety percent of grubs have a similar appearance but true white grubs tend to possess a line of hairs on the tips of their raster.
When your lawns are infested by White grubs you are likely to experience the following:
DAMAGE CAUSED BY WHITE GRUBS
White grubs move around just below the surface, eating roots of grass and other plants as they grow in your lawn. These usually happen if the soil is exceptionally moist. Nighttime is when they emerge to feed on the plants and the damage can be so severe that the grass can end up being rolled up like a carpet.
Damage from White Grubs in lawns can be visible anytime after mid-August though damage may not be too visible until September and on some occasions even October. Damage from white grubs is usually localized. It is typical to have extreme damage in isolated or irregular spots.
One of the first signs of grub damage is usually an influx of birds to the intruded area. As a result of this white grub infestation, your lawn can also get additional damage by animals digging up the areas where grub scents are the sharpest and strongest. Some animals that can be responsible for this lawn vandalizing include; raccoons, moles, and opossums. These are primarily animals that feed on white grubs causing further problems.
Perfect Leaf Management landscape renovation engineers are the professional choice for all your landscape lighting, hardscape, irrigation, sod installation, landscape flower beds, pest control, and mosquitos services.
678-666-2544
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Ellenwood, Atlanta, Georgia
WHITE GRUBS REPRODUCTION PATTERNS
There are many species that fall into the white grub’s name and because of this, the reproduction methods tend to vary. However, white grubs typically begin as eggs that hatch and develop into larvae. In this larvae phase, they eat to support and fuel their transition into full-blown adult insects. This process usually takes about twelve months to complete.
When fully grown, white grubs can be of the length 3/8 to 2 inches. They eventually turn into one of the several beetle species which include Japanese Beetles and June Bugs.
WHITE GRUBS INFESTATION TESTING METHOD
When testing if your lawn is being infested by white grubs, dig up about a 1-foot-cube section of a portion of your lawn or garden, and place the dirt in a wheelbarrow. With your hands properly gloved, tear up the dirt and look for the grubs in the soil. If you can visibly count more than five grubs in this dug section of your lawn, then you should be worried about white grub infestation, if they are less than two or none then you have nothing to worry about.
MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF WHITE GRUBS
The best approach to managing or preventing grubs is referred to as “The Golf Course Approach”. This approach is advised if your tolerance to white grub infestation is slim to none. It involves the application of special, long-residual insecticides to prevent the growth and feeding of grubs. Using this particular approach, every part of your lawn is treated every year.
Preventive Insecticides are best applied from late May to early August. The insect treatment must be watered into the soil to be effective. Application after mid-August or in the springtime, when the grubs are fully grown is not effective.
Some insecticides are not available to homeowners for the prevention of grubs but most are available to commercial applicators, For safety reasons, it is advised that the control of grubs should be left to the experts because some insecticides can be harmful and need to be applied with extreme caution and in a professional manner.
Perfect Leaf Management is an agriculture-licensed and certified company in ornament, turf, and pest. We offer comprehensive knowledge on plant diseases, lawn care, and all forms of pest invasion. Our grub control treatments are not harmful to flowers, grass, or shrubberies around the perimeter. However, it is important to keep children away from the treated area until the surfaces are completely dried.
Do you want to hire a trusted Pest Control Company? You are on the right path! Simply visit our website or contact us at 678-666-2544.
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