Greenscape Gardens Green Blog

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER, THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHUBBY

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WOW.....WOW....WOW.....WOW.....WOW.....WOW.....WOW....WOW

THE WEBSITE IS HOT, IT MUST BE SPRING. NUMBERS ARE CLIMBING QUICKER THAN A WISTERIA VINE. OVER 38,XXX WEBSITE HITS NOW WITH OVER 13XX IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK AND OVER 143,XXX WEB PAGES VIEWED AND OVER 6500 PAGES IN LESS THAN A WEEK. MOST PEOPLE VISITING GREENSCAPEGARDENS.COM ARE VIEWING MORE THAN FIVE PAGES. THIS WEBSITE IS DESIGNED FOR THE ST. LOUIS GARDENER AND ANYONE MAINTAINING THEIR LANDSCAPE. VISIT IT OFTEN FOR UPDATES.

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WHITE GRUB CONTROL IN ST. LOUIS

The first thing to remember is the white grub is the larval stage of the May/June Beetle. Yes..... the same bug that's been dive bombing your lights recently. For some reason they are abnormally early this year. The June bug drops eggs while flying normally from west to east and normally attracted to bright lights. These eggs hatch as the white grub in approximately 60 days. DON'T APPLY GRUB CONTROL FOR AT LEAST 60 DAYS. DON'T LISTEN TO THE FALSE ADVERTISEMENTS ABOUT APPLYING NOW...YOU'RE WASTING YOUR MONEY AND POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT UNNECESSARILY. NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.

White grubs are the most serious and destructive lawn insect pest in St. Louis. While not all lawns will get grubs and the extent of grub damage varies from year to year, there are some important points to consider concerning managing grubs in lawns. Grubs are white in color, with a characteristic "C" shape body when found in the soil feeding on lawn roots. Grubs are the larval stage of beetles.

The most common grub species in our area is the annual white grub, of which the adult is a tan chafer beetle. Eggs are laid in the soil in mid-summer, primarily on well-watered lawns in full sun, often near pavement. Damage from annual white grubs typically starts in mid August and may continue until early October. Other species may damage lawns, like the Japanese beetle, but usually are not as common as annual white grub. Monitoring and control of these species is the same as for annual white grub. The true white grub (May or June beetle), for example, typically has a three-year life cycle, meaning it could potentially damage lawns throughout the season. Japanese beetle grubs can also occur in St. Louis, with timing very similar to annual white grub. Adult Japanese beetles are serious defoliators of many ornamental plants.

Since grubs feed on the roots of lawn grasses, damage will appear as browning of the lawn. Consider that this also could be due to problems such as drought, poor soil, or diseases. However, grubs are easy to find by lifting sod in damaged areas and checking the root zone for the whitish grubs. DON'T TREAT FOR GRUBS THAT DON'T EXIST! Skunks and raccoons may tear up lawns in search of grubs, even when grub numbers are relatively low. Typically a population of about 8 to 12 grubs per square foot causes lawn damage that requires control; whereas lower populations may not damage the grass, they may attract skunks and raccoons.

Lawns showing damage from grubs may be treated with an insecticide. Insecticides available for homeowners include; trichlorfon (Dylox) (6.2% granular); fenozide (GrubBGon, GrubEx), or imidacloprid (Merit, formerly GrubEx) for control of white grubs. For all products, read and follow all label directions, then apply to damaged areas. Water the insecticide into the soil immediately. If treating a large area, stop after a portion has been treated and water the material in, then complete the rest of the lawn area needing treatment. Only treat in and around affected areas; grubs may only be in a small part of the lawn.

Spring treatment for annual white grub is not suggested since the grubs feed for a short period of time in spring and are reaching maturity, thus are not controlled easily. In addition, turfgrasses are actively growing at that time so usually don’t show damage.

Other insects may attack lawns in St. Louis, but severity of damage changes from season to season and also by location. Examples include sod webworm, billbug, chinch bug, and aphids. These insects differ from grubs in that they are feeding at or above the surface of the soil and usually are not as destructive.