Skip to main content

Grub Damage in my lawn


Late August generally brings cooler temperatures and much needed rain to help green the lawn backup from summer heat and drought stress.  However, sometimes the lawn doesn't green backup and that can be the first indication of grub damage in the lawn.  The second indication is that the turf will pull up when you grab the leaf tissue or crown of the plants.  This is because the hatching grub larvae are eating the base of the turf roots just below the surface of the soil and underneath the crown.  This basically separates the turf very easily from the soil where the roots are embedded.


This summer brought on a lot of insect damage with the dry and hot conditions.  This is often easily overlooked during the high temperature conditions because it looks like the lawn is just going dormant.  Many instances of billbugs, chinch bugs and sod webworms have been found across our service area.  These insects usually only damage the leaf tissue on top portion of the turf.  They like to eat at the base of the leaf tissue above the crown causing the grass to brown.  This damage is usually only temporary as the plant puts out new leaf tissue as the cooler temperatures and rain return.  When you pull up on the damage turf it separates without pulling up the roots out of the ground.

At Lawn Doctor we provide a surface insecticide with our early summer application to help prevent some of the insect damage.  We also provide preventative grub control at the same time for accounts that have added it to their service program.  If your lawn did not receive these treatments and the lawn is not greening back up then check for these symptoms.  If the turf pulls up and several grubs can be easily found in an area the size of your fist then a curative insecticide needs to be applied before more damage occurs.  For further answers to grub and insect damage or any other lawn questions please contact us.

Please share or follow us on Facebook for more helpful lawn care updates.

Contact us today at:  847-395-0940 or at: group593@lawndoctor.com

www.lawndoctorantioch-waukegan.com  


Or Find us on Facebook








Instagram



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Benefits of Rhizome grasses

Bluegrass and Turf-type Tall Fescue Bluegrass and Turf-type tall fescue grass seed blends are both cool season grasses that can thrive in our cool humid growing zone.  One reason they are so popular in the green industry is because they produce rhizomes as part of their reproductive process.  What does this mean?  It means the plant sends out new shoots below ground to repair itself and reproduce across open areas in the lawn.  The picture above is a patch of lawn that died in the early heat and drought this summer.  As the cooler temperatures of August and September arrived, along with some much-needed rainfall, the surviving bluegrass plants began their process of reproducing.  The result is a fuller appearance of turf that will eventually fill in completely without any over-seeding.  This unique characteristic of these grass types is why experienced turfgrass professionals have preferred them for high-maintenance lawns. Many lawn...
1 comment
Read more

The Importance of Early Spring Pre-Emergent Weed Control

The Key to a Weed-Free Lawn: Early Spring Pre-Emergent Weed Control As the first signs of spring begin to appear, homeowners across the country start dreaming of lush, green lawns. However, achieving that picture-perfect yard requires more than just hope and sunshine. At Lawn Doctor, we know that the secret to a beautiful lawn lies in proactive care, and one of the most crucial steps is early spring pre-emergent weed control. Let's explore why this treatment is so important and how it sets the stage for a successful lawn care season. What is Pre-Emergent Weed Control? Pre-emergent weed control is a preventative measure that targets weed seeds before they have a chance to germinate and grow. Unlike post-emergent treatments that kill existing weeds, pre-emergent herbicides create a barrier in the soil that stops weed seeds from developing into mature plants. The Importance of Timing When it comes to pre-emergent weed control, timing is everything. Early spring application is crucial ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Heat tracking in lawns

We have recently noticed a few instances of a somewhat rare phenomenon in the lawn care industry that we would like to point out in an effort to better communicate to both our customers and those interested in lawn care.  Along with the previously posted summer stress issues for the lawn in this blog, we wanted to bring up a more recent issue which is very rare but is currently a potential for lawns across the Antioch, Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, Gurnee, Lake Forest and Waukegan area.  This recent phenomenon is referred to by some in the industry as heat tracking. Heat tracking occurs when pressure is applied to the lawn from foot traffic, lawn mowers, fertilizer spreaders or anything else that can compress the leaf tissue down to the ground below.  When  this pressure is applied at the exact time frame (usually early afternoon at the peak heat of the day) that the turf is at its wilting point or entering dormancy stage it breaks the leaf tissue at the base o...
Post a Comment
Read more