Grubs: A Common Nuisance in Texas lawns
There are actually 100 different types of beetles in Texas that have a similar lifecycle and are designated as white grubs, grub worms, June bugs, or May beetles. The larval form can do significant damage to root systems of warm-season turfgrasses (Bermuda, St. Augustine grass, and Centipede grass), vegetables, and ornamental plants.
Plants damaged by grubs will have weak growth and low plant vigor. Damaged turfgrass will exhibit weak growth and vigor and have irregular patches of dying, discolored, yellowing, or dead grass.
Most damage is evidenced in late summer and fall. Most lawns that struggle in spring had most of the damage done the previous fall.
If you can tug on your grass and it peels up like a carpet, then you have a severe grub infestation. You can sample for grubs by digging at least 4-6 inches down into the soil around areas suspected of grubs. If you have more than 5 grubs per square foot, then you have an infestation that justifies treatment.
Treatment for the control of grubs is most effective when applied before they have reached ½” long. Late summer (July and early August), is the opportune time of the year to be treating for June bugs in Central Texas. Call us today and we can help you to choose the correct grub control product for your lawn.