Bayer Advanced Season-Long Grub Control (or Bayer Advanced Merit) - Granular, Bayer Advanced Season-Long Grub Control and Turf Revitalizer - Granular, Premium Grub Control (Do not confuse with “Premium Insect Control”), Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer Liquid attach-to-hose-bottle, Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer Granules - Granular, Bayer Advanced 24 hr Grub Killer Plus - Granular, Spectracide Triazicide Insect Killer for Lawns - Granular. They are not cheap but will treat the problem at source. This material is based upon work supported by the USDA and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture award number(s) 2014-70006-22498. The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707. mowing your yard with the mower on the highest setting. Water the lawn immediately after applying the insecticide. They will not work on grubs found in the lawn from the middle of October through the middle of May. Before doing anything, it is important to make sure the problem is grubs. Products containing imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin or chlorantraniloprole will not control grubs in the spring. His key to this: fertilizing one’s lawn with nitrogen only once per year, and doing it very strategically “and judiciously,” to quote Shetlar, “usually in late October, early November.”. By the end of October, they are fully grown. One trichlorfon product has “24 Hour Grub Control” in its name and would seem to indicate that it will kill grubs in 24 hours. Some of these products come in a granular formulation that is applied with a fertilizer spreader or some products are designed to be mixed with water and sprayed. When your lawn is brown and patchy, grubs could be the cause. But what are the most effective options for sustainable-minded lawn owners? Weeds that flower again after mowing are much safer than weed flowers that were sprayed directly with insecticide, but some of the insecticide is absorbed by the roots and will move into the pollen and nectar. There are many products available, some with the same active ingredients. Chafer grub treatment Your Greensleeves local lawn care expert will use our own biological insect control treatment, known as nematodes, to kill the chafer grubs. Check the bag or bottle to determine what active ingredient the product contains. But it can get worse: Large urban and suburban critters, such as skunks and raccoons, are apt to claw up your entire lawn looking for them, considering them hard-to-come-by delicacies. Although the bag often says apply anytime from May to Aug. 15, it is highly recommended that products containing imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin be applied and irrigated into the soil in June or July. It’s when these “de-thatcher” populations grow out of control that the dreaded lawn damage takes place. Chafer grubs can be found in the soil under the loose turf. Products containing only these ingredients will not work for grub control because the active ingredient binds with organic material and will not move down to where the grubs are feeding. Here’s a good test, from the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Pull up about 1 square foot of the earth around the base of your sod (where the stems meet the roots). Cultural: Spike-aeration of turf may kill significant portions of white grub populations when they are feeding close to the soil surface (approximately 45 days after beetles appear). If there is nothing flowering in the lawn, there is nothing in it that would attract bees. I went to several of the local lawn and garden centers in the Lansing, Michigan, area to see what kinds of products are available that specifically claim they will work to control grubs. These active ingredients can be toxic to bees if the bees visit flowers that were recently sprayed. Once grubs are established, what can you do about it? If applied in early spring, the pesticide may move through the soil or partially degrade by the time the grubs hatch in late July. If you select a product that contains imidacloprid ingredient to kill larvae will be the best choice. Make sure to irrigate the lawn with at least. One is Dylox (trichlorfon), which is a quick-acting chemical insecticide that kills both kinds of grubs. Any use poses a risk of harm to not just people, but other insects, including lawn-beneficial pollinators. The eggs of both species hatch about 10 days after they are laid. This is not true. Shetlar, however, recommended that lawn lovers should be even more vigilant, especially in order to prevent large critters from eating them. The critical issue with any grub control product is the active ingredient. However, when applied in June or July they provide excellent protection against the next generation of grubs. *What is 0.5 inches of irrigation? Grub damage may appear in home lawns from mid-September to November or from March to early May. Applying them now will allow some of the chemical to leach through the turf or break down to the point that not enough insecticide will be there in July to control grubs. The active ingredients are usually shown on the bottom right or left of the front of the bag and listed as a percent of composition. Shetlar added, “If there are four to five grubs per square foot, that’s usually enough for them to be digging around.”. 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