Why are there grubs in my garden

They come on a sponge invisible to naked eye that you soak in water, put in a sprayer and spray your dirt or lawn. They will multiply over time and continue to kill grubs. They have nematodes that seek and destroy flea larvae too. Here's what one reader says about his experience with nematodes: "Works great. Did my yard last year, my dogs never have fleas unless we go someplace else. The nematodes for grubs work equally as well. Had them in my compost pile, wiped them out.

No more grubs! Answer 2: A naturally occurring pathogen, milky spore disease Bacillus popilliae , affects beetle larvae and will kill grubs without harming you or your garden, but it can take one to three years to become fully effective. While you wait for the milky spore to become effective, try beneficial nematodes. Milky spore multiplies through infected grubs and can last 15 to 20 years in established lawns. Buy milky spore lawn mix on Amazon. Because we love birds , we just happened to put up 5 houses for house wrens, one in front yard, one in each side yard, and two in back — strategically placed so they would not see each other's houses, being so territorial.

As alarming as these juicy springtime grubs appear, they do little harm to plants in the spring. These late-summer white grubs are the pests in that they feed on the roots of our common turf grasses.

And even if your treatment did kill grubs present now, they would be replaced in June when adult June beetles fly in from surrounding lawns and landscapes.

An April-emerging scarab beetle common right now in parts of Dallas is of no concern to lawns or gardens. Although most damage to Texas lawns is done by just a very few species of white grubs, there are over species of similar-looking beetles in the state.

Most of these scarab beetles are harmless, feeding on compost or the roots of plants of little concern to us humans. Which brings me to a second observation that many of us are making this week. The June beetle-like beetles coming to windows and lights during April and May are not species that attack landscape plants. Most of these beetles lack a common name, although you might call some of them April and May beetles based on the timing of their mating flights.

However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. All opinions are our own we pride ourselves on keeping our articles fair and balanced. For more info see our disclosure statement. They exist as dormant eggs through the cold winter months, and then hatch in the spring to burrow around and eat the roots of your plants. So how do you know you have grubs? Your first signs are likely going to be problems with your grass and other plants.

Odd patches of grass will start to die off and turn brown, without any apparent cause. If you do have a grub problem, the damaged grass should pull up easily since the grubs have been eating away the roots underneath. Once you can see the dirt, you should have a clear view of any grubs.

Another tip-off that you have a grub problem is the increased activity around your yard from raccoons, skunks or birds. These animals love to eat grubs, and will come in droves for the easy snacks. For more specific species identification, it gets a little tougher.

June beetles also called June bugs or even May beetles are the most widespread, but you may also have Oriental beetles or European chafers. While technically there are some species of grubs that are harmless to your grass, most will be a problem. If you see grubs in the dirt without any actual damage going on, you might want to wait and see what develops before you reach for the insecticide.

Now we can get to the important details on how to get rid of grubs. You have two general options: pesticides or a more natural route. If you check under the grass for about a square foot, and only find 5 or 6 grubs, then you can just leave them alone.

Once you have taken the proper actions to get rid of the grubs, implement preventive measures to keep them at bay. All grub species will feed on roots, and in the adult stage, beetles and weevils will feed on leaves, stems and other parts of the plants. This feeding leaves the plants stunted with loss of vigor, poor crop production and possible defoliation. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden , grubs typically become trouble in early autumn, when they begin to hatch from eggs laid over the summer.

When the ground freezes, grubs burrow underground and return to the surface in the spring to continue feeding. These unwelcomed guests will dig up the soil looking for grubs to eat.