Friday, September 14, 2012

White Grubs

White grubs are the larval stage of several beetles. Japanese beetles are the most common. Beetles will lay eggs in June-July. Once the eggs hatch, they develop into larva which feed on grass roots. Once the root system is compromised, the grass can quickly wilt and die. Also, animals like skunks and racoons are natorious for digging for the grubs looking for food. This is what happened if you ever see your yard torn up in September. It is this time of year they become an issue. We spray nearly all areas of the golf course preventatively in June (prior to egg hatch) so we do not have grub problems. However, it is common to have breakthrough in an area or two. Here you can see some damage from a raccoon on #1 creek bank. Once grubs are seen, you can spray a chemical, Dylox, to kill them. However, the roots are already compromised at this point and it is difficult to gain any sort of good turf quaility back during that year.