The landscape became gilded in the warm, setting sun before donning the cool, amethyst robe of twilight.  Stars flickered in the silken, night sky as moths fluttered in the spaces in between.  Here and there, lumbering beetles shuffled towards the warmth of porch lights, and their appearance made a perfect night seem somewhat troubling.

When beetles appear, grub worms are near.  Grubs are the larvae, children, if you will, of a variety of beetles.  They feed on the lawn’s root system and are terribly destructive.  Weakened, wilting, brown grass in irregular shapes are a sign of their existence and ferocious appetites.  In these areas, the grass can easily be pulled back due to root damage, and the grub highly visible – white, c-shaped and reaching lengths up to 2″.

More eggs are deposited in warmer soil areas, like around sidewalks, driveways and near outside lights.  The beetle prefers to lay her eggs in moist soil as opposed to dry, which May & early June have given us plenty of.

Preventative measures should be taken to inhibit the larvae from hatching and/or maturing, especially in lawns that have a history of grub issues or for lawns that are adjacent to areas with grub issues.  Additionally, irrigated lawns seem to have a higher incidence of grubs than non-irrigated.  Preventative grub control is your best and most effective defense.  Once damage is noticed, usually in mid to late Summer, granular insecticides can be applied to treat the grubs; however, most damaged areas will not bounce back.  Raking and reseeding will most likely be needed.

Before grubs become a problem, contact Sweeney’s to schedule your preventative grub control today!  After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and a healthy lawn.

Plant of the Week

Coreopsis Red Satin

Ruby red flowers with glowing, golden centers bloom amongst fine, delicate foliage June – October.  Prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil, but will tolerate most soil types.  Grows 12-18″ tall and 18-24″ wide.  Attracts butterflies.  Drought tolerant.  Deer resistant.

“Hurt no living thing:

Ladybird, nor butterfly,

Nor moth with dusty wing.”

-Christina Georgina Rossetti

Best wishes,

Kim Sweeney