White grubs

How to spot it

• Irregular dead patches that look like drought damage
• Grass pulls up easily with few roots, and may roll up like carpet
• Cream-colored grubs, C-shaped, with a brown head and three pairs of legs
• Dig a small square at the edge of the patch. Finding 5 to 10 or more grubs per square foot is a problem
• Damage tends to show up in summer and fall

Why it shows up

Adult beetles, like June beetles, lay eggs in the soil. The grubs hatch and feed on roots through the summer. The third stage does the most damage. They stop feeding in cold weather and feed a little again in spring.

How we treat it

Preventive grub treatment is part of our lawn program. It goes down in early summer, before the eggs hatch and the grubs get big. If you already have dead patches, call us and we will take a look.

What you can do

• Cut a small square of sod at the edge of a dead patch and peel it back to check.
• Do not wait for brown patches. Grub damage shows up after the roots are gone.
• Call early in summer to get on the schedule.