You know, we are always talking about all the beautiful things spring and summer bring. But we have to admit that for some of us, warmer months bring some difficulties too. If you are a homeowner that’s investing a lot of time and energy to have a beautiful lawn and garden, you probably know what we mean.

Everyone who has ever tried taking care of the lawn knows that it is not simple, especially because there are plenty of ‘enemies’ that want to destroy your efforts. Among many pests who are attacking the lawn, we see grubs as most problematic. 

But what are grubs? Well, grubs, or precisely grub worms, aren’t actual worms. They are larvae of several scarab beetles. They appear in spring and are actively destroying the lawn and the garden throughout the warm season. Thus, they are a severe threat to your garden, and you need to understand when to treat lawn for grubs. And seeing how we also want to protect our green corner from these pesky pests, we’ve decided to consult some gardeners and lawn care experts to find out when to treat for grubs and what is the best grub killer. 

What Exactly Are Grub Control Products

Grub control is a short-lived compound that kills grubs at all stages. And if you find large amounts of grubs in your lawn or garden in the fall or spring, then applying grub control is the best way to get rid of them.

Two compounds are considered grub killers – carbaryl and trichlorfon. And they do their job really well, especially if you apply them at the right season. But what is the best time to kill grubs? While it mostly depends on the product, the aforementioned grub killers get rid of about 20-80% of the grub population if you apply them in September. In October, they will kill only 20-55% of all grubs. And while these do a great job at killing big grubs, they are not as effective against newly hatched pests. Thus, it’s important to understand when to put down grub killer and consider grub control.

The grub control products are very effective when you not only need to get rid of the pests that are about to hatch, but also protect your turf from further grub invasion. But do keep in mind that grub control is designed to prevent future grub problems, not to kill existing larvae.

It’s also important to note that grub control won’t be as effective if you apply it in spring, and it won’t work on the large grubs, active from September to May. 

What To Look For in Grub Preventers?

If you want a good grub preventer, you should look for products that contain imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, chlorantraniliprole. These ingredients target the grubs when they are still vulnerable. Keep in mind that the best time for an application depends on the ingredients. And usually, these will reduce the grub population by about 75-100% if you apply the grab preventers in June or July. 

However, remember that you need to irrigate the lawn immediately after applying the grub control.

What is the Best Time to Apply Grub Control?

The best time to apply grub control for lawns and gardens is June or July. Because if you apply it in early spring, the pesticide will move through the soil or even degrade before the grubs hatch.

As we mentioned earlier, you need to apply curative products in the fall. And when it comes to Grub Ex, it is vital to know that it targets insects’ larval stage.

So when to apply Grub Ex? The best is to do it when the beetles lay their eggs on the lawns, i.e., from spring to early summer. This is generally the best time to kill grubs.

When Is It Too Early to Apply It?

Thinking about when to treat the lawn for grubs, people are also wondering whether some periods can be considered too early for such treatment. And the answer is yes. You should always avoid doing it in early spring. Because if you do it, it will reduce the effectiveness of the pesticide, even before the grubs hatch.

What to Do After Putting Down Grub Control?

After figuring out when to put down grub control, the question is what to do next. If it rains just after you applied the pesticide, you don’t have to do anything. But it is not always simple to know when it is going to rain and plan to apply grub control accordingly. So, after you finished spraying, you need to water the lawn and the garden to make sure that the product penetrated the soil. Then, after it gets dry, you can again play with your kids and pets or have a BBQ with your friends.

How Often to Apply Grub Control?

Okay, but then when to spray for grubs? – you might ask. While it mostly depends on the product, usually it’s best two times a year. The first time, you may use grub control to get rid of any eggs and stop the grubs from hatching. And second, if you notice some infestation – in that case, apply the grub killer.

Conclusion

Grub worms aren’t the only pests that can cause damage to your lawn, but they are maybe the most disgusting and annoying. And grub control is a great way to destroy not other pests as well, such as ticks and fleas. Thus, as long as you know when to apply grub control, and follow it through, your green corner will always be healthy and beautiful!

So have you ever dealt with grub worms? What products did you use?