Fighting grubs in the lawn: How to get rid of the pests
It is not uncommon to discover animals on your lawn. In addition to worms and ants, birds also appear from time to time, looking for food in the lawn. Many hobby gardeners, however, are shocked when they discover so-called grubs in their lawn. These are the larvae of various beetles. Not only do they look unsightly, they also pose a danger to your lawn.
In this article, you will learn which grubs are eating away at your lawn and what damage they are causing. At the same time, we have put together some effective tips for you on how to combat and prevent grubs in your lawn. We will also introduce you to the high-quality products from RasenExpert.
What types of grubs eat the lawn?
The grubs of cockchafers, garden chafers and June beetles are a great danger to your lawn.
Learn more
How do I recognize harmful grubs?
You can recognize an infestation of grubs by bare, eaten areas in your lawn.
Learn more
How do I get rid of grubs in my lawn?
You can collect grubs or fight them with nematodes – they eat the larvae.
Learn more
Here's how you can prevent grubs:
The easiest way to prevent grubs is to attract their natural enemies and plant plants that are poisonous to them.
Learn more
What types of grubs eat the lawn?
The term grubs refers to the larvae of beetles. These are white, thick maggots. Before you fight them, you should determine which larvae they are, because not all of them are harmful to your lawn.
The larvae of the rose beetle and the rhinoceros beetle, for example, are harmless. The larvae of these beetle species feed exclusively on dead plant material. So you can rest assured: these grubs will not harm your lawn.
The best way to identify the larvae is to collect them and lay them down. They will stretch and crawl away.
Other beetle larvae, however, are significantly more dangerous. This is especially true for the larvae of the cockchafer, the garden chafer and the June beetle. An infestation by these grubs can damage your lawn and should therefore be stopped as quickly as possible.
Once you have collected the grubs and placed them on a smooth surface, you should look at them very closely. The larvae of the cockchafer have a curved posture and a brown head capsule. If you discover very small grubs in the ground that are only a few centimeters long, they are probably the larvae of the garden chafer. The larvae of the June beetle are also relatively small and grow to a maximum of 3 centimeters long.
Before you take action, you need to clearly identify the grubs. The harmless species will not damage your lawn and can therefore be tolerated. Other species, however, can cause great damage.
How can I recognize harmful grubs?
Are you wondering if you have grubs in your lawn? First, you can try to search your lawn. Take a close look at your lawn and see if you can spot the grubs in the soil. They usually hide a few centimeters below the surface and can grow up to ten centimeters long. Since they are not always easy to find, you can try to take a closer look at the damage.
Grubs eat away at your lawn and its roots. If your lawn is severely infested, the entire turf can be eaten away. This creates bare patches in the lawn that often have no recognizable pattern and have to be completely replanted.
You can often recognize an infestation of grubs by another characteristic: if there are grubs in the soil, you will see a lot of birds on the lawn. The birds are looking for food and are eating the grubs. So keep a close eye on your garden.
At what time of year do grubs hatch?
Most beetles lay their eggs in April and May. The female beetles fly into the ground and lay their eggs there. Between June and July, the white larvae hatch from them - the grubs. The larvae of most beetles stay in the ground for three years. Only then do they pupate and become cockchafers. If the grubs spread in your garden, your lawn can suffer long-term damage.
How do I get rid of grubs in my lawn?
If you have discovered grubs in your lawn, you need to act quickly. The longer they eat away at your lawn, the more damage it will cause. The first step you can take is to collect the grubs. Since they live in the soil, it is best to wait until it has rained.
This is because the larvae dig to the surface. If it is currently dry, you can help by watering heavily.
Then collect all the grubs you can find. You can repeat this procedure on several days to catch as many larvae as possible. This procedure is particularly simple, free and effective.
You can also use nematodes to combat grubs. Nematodes are roundworms that eat the larvae of various beetles. You can simply buy or order them and then spread them on your lawn. However, note that nematodes can also damage potatoes, spinach and other vegetable plants.
Once you have removed the grubs, you are often left with a chaotic lawn. Grubs can cause considerable damage. You should reseed the bare, dead areas as quickly as possible before new pests settle there. You can find high-quality, fast-germinating seeds for this at RasenExpert.
Promote natural enemies: How to prevent grubs
Grubs in the lawn are annoying for many hobby gardeners. If you have already noticed an infestation, you should try to prevent the pests in the future. There are simple but effective measures you can take. We have summarized the most important tips for you:
Attract natural enemies of grubs:
Grubs have some natural enemies that also live in your garden. If you attract them specifically, you can prevent an infestation by grubs. Hedgehogs feel at home in many gardens and eat the grubs. Birds, especially blackbirds, can also destroy even a heavy infestation. Set up feeding stations or nesting boxes to attract these beneficial insects.
Drive away grubs with suitable plants:
There are a number of plants that are poisonous to grubs. At the same time, they look pretty in your garden. Examples include geraniums and delphiniums. If the grubs eat the roots of these plants, they die.
Plant garlic in your garden:
Many larvae and beetles are deterred or driven away by the smell of garlic. You can therefore plant garlic in your beds to avoid problems with grubs in the lawn in the first place. Alternatively, a popular home remedy is to pour garlic tea over the lawn.
Scarify your lawn:
Grubs feel most comfortable in firm, heavily compacted soil. You should therefore scarify your lawn regularly. Grubs do not like loosened soil and will die. At the same time, scarification also has positive advantages for your lawn.
Lay out insect nets:
There are years in which there are particularly many cockchafers. Over a period of about three weeks, they fly around and look for suitable places to lay their eggs. In such a cockchafer year, you can cover your lawn with fine-meshed insect protection nets. This will prevent the beetles from laying their eggs on your lawn.
As you can see, there are some really helpful tips that you can use to keep grubs out of your garden. Preventing the larvae is simple and usually very effective.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about infestation by grubs
If you have collected grubs, it is best to dispose of them in the compost. The larvae are very useful there as they promote the formation of hummus. Alternatively, you can also dispose of them in wilder corners or piles of leaves.
After mating, female beetles dig about 10 cm deep into the soil. They then lay their eggs there, from which larvae, the grubs, hatch a few weeks later. If you want to remove these afterwards, you should dig deep into the soil or lure them out with water.
It is best to combat grubs when they have not yet hatched. If you want to use nematodes, it is best to spread them on your lawn in May and June. The other measures can be carried out all year round.
Our conclusion: Prevent pests with proper lawn care
Grubs in the lawn are a major nuisance for many hobby gardeners, but you can prevent them with simple methods. Once the larvae have settled, you should collect them immediately and spread nematodes. Then make sure to follow the most important measures for preventing grubs.