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.
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