How to Tell if Grubs Are Destroying Your Lawn
Today Berger Harigs treated my lawn for grubs. They’ve done this every year for the last several years. I no longer inspect my yard for signs of grubs because I know they’re in my yard. However, if you’re uncertain here’s how to tell if you have grubs in your lawn.
Signs of lawn grubs include irregular brown or yellow patches, turf that feels spongy underfoot, and grass that rolls back like a loose rug because the roots have been eaten. You may also notice increased animal and bird activity as wildlife digs for grubs.
How to Tell if You Have Grubs in Your Lawn
- Irregular Brown Patches: Dying grass usually appears in late summer or early fall. Unlike drought stress, watering these patches will not make the grass recover.
- Loose, Spongy Turf: Because grubs eat the roots that anchor your turf to the soil, the grass will feel hollow and bouncy when you walk on it.
- Peeling Grass: If you grab a handful of grass in an affected area and pull, the sod will easily lift up like a loose carpet.
- Digging Animals & Birds: A sudden influx of birds, skunks, raccoons, or moles tearing up your lawn is a strong indicator that they are hunting for a “grub buffet”. Moles taking over my yard was how I first learned about grubs.
- Adult Beetle Swarms: High numbers of hovering adult beetles (like Japanese beetles or June bugs) in late spring and early summer indicate they are laying eggs in your soil, which will hatch into grubs.
How to Verify the Infestation
To confirm whether your lawn problems are caused by grubs, you can do a quick visual inspection.
- Locate a Border: Go to the edge of a dying patch where the grass is transitioning from brown to green.
- Cut a Sample: Use a shovel to cut a one-square-foot section of turf, peeling it back about 2 to 3 inches deep into the soil.
- Count the Grubs: Search through the soil and the roots. Grubs are white or cream-colored, C-shaped larvae with brown heads and six visible legs. Finding 10 or more grubs in a single square-foot area typically indicates a damaging infestation that requires treatment.
Knowng how to tell if you have grubs in your lawn is only the beginning. So, what do you do if you do have grubs in your lawn? You can start here How to Control Grubs in Your Lawn, but there’s an even easier way. Do what I do and have Berger Hargis do the dirty “gruby” work.
How Can We Help You?
Berger Hargis has a company philosophy of providing personal excellence for all our services. Our growth and success have been due entirely to our commitment to honest, excellent customer service. The company has been built on the referral business we have received due to this philosophy.
If we can answer any questions about how to control grubs, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us.
About the Author
Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek, and on weekends (after COVID-19), he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management.
Image by BrianCarlin from Pixabay
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