Grub Prevention

Grubs are the larval (or worm) state of many types of beetles.  The Japanese beetle grub is one of the most common here in New England.  These grubs feed on the roots of lawn grasses and can cause severe damage if left untreated.  In addition, animals higher up in the food chain (skunks, crows, etc.) have damaged lawns in our area by digging in them in search of grubs.

Grubs first appear in late Summer, when adult beetles lay their eggs in your lawn.  These newly hatched worms (grubs) work their way through the thatch and into the soil, where they begin to feed on the roots of your grass.  Grubs do their greatest damage during the Fall months.

As the weather cools, grubs burrow deeper into the soil for the winter and return to the surface to feed again as the soil warms in the Spring.  After this Spring feeding, the grubs pupate into adult beetles and begin the cycle again.

Because they are the sub-surface insect, grubs are difficult to control once they infest a lawn.  The best treatment is to prevent them from entering the lawn in the first place.  To accomplish this, Kings Associates includes a Grub Preventative treatment in your Standard Service Maintainer Program.  This treatment forms a barrier in the soil which kills the grubs before they can damage the roots of your grass.

It is easy to see why most of our customers choose to have the Grub Preventative treatment.  However, if you should decide not to include Grub Preventative in your annual program, be on the lookout for brown patches appearing in your lawn starting in late August.  Should a grub infestation be discovered, we can apply our Curative Sub-Surface Insect Control treatment.   You should be advised, however, that in most cases, your lawn will already have suffered damage before the population of grubs can be brought under control.