GRUB CONTROL

    This article is about GRUB CONTROL control.
It will explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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   Americans like having green lawns and lush landscaping
around their homes. This design usually incorporates some
type of grass like Bermuda, Fescue, Bent grass or Zoysia
just to name a few. These environments need food and water
to keep them healthy and looking good. These same requirements
are what lure many types of pests in and around the home.
Though most may only nest or traverse through the grass,
some actually eat grass. Surface feeders like locusts,
grasshoppers and katydids are easy to see so activity can
be quickly identified and properly handled. However, pests
which reside and live under the grass pose a whole other
problem. One such pest actually eats the roots of grass
and the unwary homeowner won't know it is active or
present until their grass starts to die! This pest is
quite common and can appear anywhere in the United States.
This pest is the common GRUB !!!
   Grubs are the larval stage of beetles. There are many
types of grubs but the ones which live in the dirt under
grass are most likely Japanese Beetle, June Beetle, May
Beetle, Black Turfgrass, Asiatic Garden or some other regional
beetle which lays eggs whose larva feed on plants. Most
people know what grubs look like. They usually have an
off white, tan or even brown head, tend to be curled in
a "C" position all the time, have lots of legs and a
segmented body which is quite white. Grubs can vary greatly
in size which is not only dependent on species. Clearly the
food supply has a lot to do with just how big or small any
one grub might grow. Other variables like temperature, humidity,
water, local nutrients and soil type will influence their
size and development. Grubs live just under grass, usually
6 inches to a few feet down, all of which depends on their
species, food supplies and the time of year. Since so many
insects generate a grub like young which can live in turf,
the purpose of this article is not to inform you of any
one specific species. The author will, however, explain 
all you need to know about grubs in general and then offer
control methods which are designed to control whatever type
of grub you may have active on your property. 
   Grubs usually go unnoticed until the results of their
feeding is observed. Such results will include dead grass,
plants and flowers. It is quite common to find them still
feeding even as you are removing the dead plant, turf or
flower!!  Such "pockets" of grubs should be more then
just an alarm alerting you to what is happening. Don't
ignore it. Grub damage is by far the most common type of
damage sustained in turf grass throughout the United 
States. If you want to make sure you don't fall victim
to a local infestation, get a pair of STRESS DETECTION GLASSES.
These unique eye glasses allow you to "see" grass and
other plants which are stressed out due to fungus,
drought and parasites like grubs. Early detection
will give you the upper hand when combating this
pest. In other words, early detection allows for
early treatments. Since the United States has such a
large population of beetles along with a great
selection of turf grass for them to eat, this pest
won't be going away any time soon. Furthermore, the 
type of environments we like to create around our homes 
are just what helps to attract and keep satisfied any
active grub population. 
   In addition to grubs killing off plants, shrubs and 
grass, their presence tends to attract all kinds of 
animals. Moles, armadillo, badgers, birds, mice, rats, 
voles, shrews, gophers, groundhogs, muskrat, opossum, 
raccoon, prairie dogs, and skunk are just some
of the animals which will readily tear up and pull 
apart lawns in an effort to find grubs. They love grubs
and lawns which have active grub populations will 
undoubtedly start to experience animal digging and damage.
If you already have this activity, you need to put an
end to it as soon as possible. Turf which is in a
weakened state already will quickly die off from
all the digging. To prevent this from happening,
spray some WHOLE CONTROL over the areas which are
being attacked. This product is not a poison; instead
it is a bad tasting agent that animals don't like. The
goal here is to create a bad tasting soil so digging
animals will have to go elsewhere to find food. Though
not a true "control" program, spraying Whole Control
can definitely help to relocate and force unwanted
animals to find food elsewhere.
   Grub infestations can also lead to other insect problems.
There are many types of wasps which actually feed on grubs.
These parasitic wasps thrive in yards where grubs are present
and will come to feed and nest when large grub populations
are active. Such activity usually scares the homeowner into
some course of action and our directions on how to deal with
digger bees/wasps actually helps to control the grubs for
a while. However, getting and keeping grubs under control
is a never ending job and one which cannot be ignored. In 
fact, the author is quite convinced that the simple act of
treating the yard for grub control 3-4 times a year can
help to keep the yard and home free of just about any pest!
That's right. The products and treatment schedule needed
to get and keep grubs under control has a tremendous benefit
in that this very treatment will stop roaches, ants, bees,
wasps, termites and just about any type of common pest in
and around the house from ever getting established. As our
in depth article about Preventive Treatments around the
home details, the act of using both a Granule and a Liquid
material in the yard and alongside the home will help to
keep just about all pests out. This means that if you are
going to start treating your home for grubs, you will
effectively be treating the home for all kinds of pests.
This added benefit is just one more reason grub control 
should be done since it is one of the only types of pest
control which has a large "all inclusive" type of effect.
    
	
THE PROBLEM WITH THE "OLD" WAY OF HANDLING GRUB INFESTATIONS....

   For the longest time, grub control has always been addressed
by using granules applied to the turf at a "key" time of the
year. It has always been preached that grubs are active in
"certain months" and that it is only during these times of
the year that chemical treatments will have any positive impact.
Well, this approach has lead to somewhat inconsistent results.
The inconsistencies stem from many facts. Here are some of
the problems related to a "timed" application approach to
grub control.
1) Timed applications rely on a premise that there is only one
time of the year that a target population is active. Though
this could be true for any one species, it is not likely that
anyone can tell when this time might occur. In other words,
there are far too many factors which could and do cause this
time to vary greatly from yard to yard, season to season. In
other words, what could be the "right" time in one yard may
not be "right" for a neighbor. In fact, their time could be
a month or more later or earlier.
2) There are far too many species of insects laying eggs which
develop into damaging grubs to use this approach. Each species
has a different time of the year which is the "right" time to
treat and without knowing just which species you are treating
for, trying to time the application is not practical. And since
it is cost prohibitive to learn just which species you might
have, even if you did know, it would only narrow the time frame
down to a few months due to the problem of timing stated above
in item #1.
3) The development of grubs varies tremendously from insect to
insect. There are many grubs which are only active for one year
but most are active for 2-3 years! In other words, an application
made one year due to grub damage might have an immediate impact
on the population that is currently feeding. However, all the eggs
which haven't hatched nor the ones which have already moved
deeper because they have already fed will be impacted. This
problem - the problem associated with the fact that several
species are active for short intervals of time and that not
all stages of any population will be vulnerable to a treatment
at the same time - means more than any other reason that
you must treat several times in any one year and that you
will have to do so for several years running!!!
   Problem #3 is probably the biggest mistake most people fall
victim to regarding a timed application. They follow the
advise of some local nursery or garden center which has
recommended "one application" made at a precise time will
get the problem under control. Nothing further from the
truth could be true!!! Such an approach does not take
into account all the eggs which have not hatched, the
part of the local population which has already fed and
moved deeper into the soil which will effectively shield
them from any treatment as well as the fact that it not
likely that any one time is ideal! Remember, grubs which
develop over a period of a few years will become active
at different times of the year based more on their stage
of their growth. In other words, the late spring might
be right for 1 year old grubs which takes 3 years to mature
but in their second year, they might be more active
in the middle summer months. This will vary from species
to species as well so there is clearly no way you can
plan for the "right" application season let alone moment!


   HOW YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY CURE AND PREVENT GRUBS.......

   The problems associated with grub activity can be many as
detailed at the beginning of this article. Having grubs active
in your yard will almost assuredly happen if you grow grass,
plants, flowers, shrubs or just about anything common on and
around most homes. Most important, if you water and/or feed
the plants and grass, grubs will certainly be present. You 
could choose to play a "wait and see" game and address the
problem once it starts. However, the best approach to grub
control is both effective at controlling current activity
and for preventing them from being able to get established
in the first place. Furthermore, this simple approach will
help to prevent just about any type of pest from getting
established on or around your home in the first place. This
means that if you start this simple program, you will be
able to fire your pest control company because their service
just won't be needed! That's right. If you stay up with this
program, you will be able to effectively prevent most any
of the common pests from getting a foothold on your property.
This prevention will help to keep them out of the house altogether
and to keep the home pest free.


       WHAT TREATMENT SCHEDULE SHOULD YOU FOLLOW???
	   
   There are two types of treatment schedules that apply to
most any home. The first one should be utilized if you are actively
trying to prevent grubs. Use this approach and maintenance
program if you don't have grubs and don't want to get them.
It is both easy to do and depending on which material you choose
to apply, may only take 1-2 applications per year. For preventive
applications, the use of a granule is best suited. There
are two which do a good job. CYFLUTHRIN GRANULES are probably
your best bet if you wish to use something which will work
on many pests. It is easy to apply and applications will last
2-3 months. Use 10 lbs for every 5,000 sq/ft you need to
treat. Apply this at least quarterly, more if you reside in 
a rainy region, and try to get at least 4 applications done
per year. The great thing about Cyfluthrin is that it is both
highly effective on just about any pest and highly repellent.
This means that it will first serve to repel insects from
establishing nests and/or scent trails on treated turf. More
importantly, it will kill them in a few days if they ignore
its' presence. Cyfluthrin is a great product for keeping away
ants, roaches, crickets, digger bees or wasps, mole crickets
and just about any type of turf pest. Another type of product
that can be applied is MERIT GRANULES. This material uses a 
different active which is highly effective on grubs. The big
benefit of using Merit is that you don't have to treat quite
as frequently. Though residuals can last up to a full growing
season, you will be better served if you apply it twice a 
year. This product only targets grubs so use the Cyfluthrin if
you want a broad range of pests controlled and prevented; use
the Merit if you want to target grubs with long term control
in mind and not having to treat quite as frequently as required
when utilizing Cyfluthrin. Regardless of which granule you 
choose to use, it must be applied uniformly and at the right
rate. Be sure to get an accurate count of the square footage
being treated and use a good GRANULE SPREADER to apply them.
   The second type of treatment schedule you should employ
is if you have current grub activity. When grubs are actively
present, you need something to work quickly. Since granules
are designed to release slowly, they don't give you the 
strong knockdown and quick kill of a liquid application.
For this reason, it is best to do both a granule application
and a liquid application if you are dealing with an active
population of grubs. First, apply the required amount of 
either the Cyfluthrin or Merit Granules listed above. Once
applied, use either PERMETHRIN or LAMDA-CYHALOTHRIN sprayed over
the top. These liquid concentrates will penetrate soil much
faster then the granules alone. By penetrating faster, they
will have a big impact on the active grubs almost immediately.
This will help to reduce grub damage and protect your turf
and plants. The Permethrin we sell comes with its' own hose
end sprayer and by itself will do a good job for small
areas. The Lamda-Cyhalothrin will need to be applied
using a HOSE END SPRAYER to get it equally dispersed.
Furthermore, adding a SPREADER STICKER will enable the product
to work much better. This Spreader Sticker will let the
Lamda-Cyhalothrin penetrate soil much faster and will
essentially enhance the performance of your treatment. When 
treating a yard which has any activity, it is always best to
treat the whole yard. Remember, just because you haven't
seen damaged grass or plants in some areas it does not mean
that grubs are not present. Since you are treating a pest
infestation for which a good visible inspection is just
about impossible to perform, it is always best to treat
as much of the area as possible. This insures you won't miss
a vital "grub pocket" which could lead to a lot more damage
a month or two later. Treat at least once a month for two 
applications of liquid to insure you get good coverage.
If you don't have a sprayer or would like something a little 
easier to apply, the CYONARA RTS might be better suited for 
your needs. It too is a sprayable concentrate but it comes 
in a handy "ready to spray" quart jug. Just hook it up to 
your garden hose, turn it on and your ready to go. It's 
odorless, very effective against grubs and you get good 
coverage from each quart. 
   Since there are so many different species of grubs which
could be active, don't think a single application is going
to resolve the problem. In fact, grub treating is rarely
a "one shot deal". Though you could get lucky, it is by
far all the more likely that much of the target population
either already fed or is out of range of your treatments.
For this reason, it is important that you treat throughout
the entire season. More importantly, you need to continue
treatments for at least 2 years!!! That's right, treatment
for at least 2 years will insure that you get any returning
larva.  Since so many species take 2-3 years to fully grow,
you must followup the initial year of treatments with
either the Cyfluthrin or the Merit Granules. You could still
spray the liquid materials the second year as well but
generally the granules alone will prove sufficient especially
if they are applied early and consistently. By getting them 
down at the start of the second year, you will have an 
effective barrier in place so that any grubs which get active 
during the second season will be killed off as they rise to
feed. The most common mistake people make regarding grub
treatments is to not follow up the second year with granule 
treatments. They mistakenly believe the "one shot" of granules 
and/or liquids applied the year before should have killed off
everything when in fact nothing could be further from the 
truth. Only after two good seasons of consistent treatments 
making sure that enough product is applied in a timely fashion
can you expect to knock them out once and for all. You 
should only need to treat with the Granules the second
year but the real key for this second season is getting the 
product out early in the year. Do this and grub control will
be that much more effective and successful.
	   
   Grubs are the most common turf problem found throughout
the United States. There are many reasons why they like   
to feed on our grass, plants and shrubs and though they might
be out of sight, the damage they do will soon be quite
evident. If you have had a bad experience with grubs and
want to treat your turf so you don't get them again, use some
of the Cyfluthrin or Merit Granules. Applied throughout the
year, either of these products will effectively keep grub
populations minimal. If you have an active population of
grubs and want to take control of the problem quickly,
apply the granules first and then spray over the top of
them with either Permethrin or Lamda-Cyhalothrin. These
liquid materials will penetrate the soil faster and kill
off the currently active grubs helping to minimize their
damage. Follow this treatment program and you can keep
this pesky lawn pest minimized. By doing so you will
ultimately reduce lawn damage which will save you a lot
of money, aggravation and time!
   
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