How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles and Grubs in Your Lawn

First, it’s important to make the connection that the white grubs in your lawn will hatch into Japanese Beetles; if you have Japanese Beetles, they will lay eggs in your lawn that turn into white grubs. Japanese Beetles can severely damage your roses and other plants in your landscape because they feed on the leaves and can almost completely defoliate some plants.
The white grubs ruin your lawn. They feed on the roots of the grass near the soil’s surface. The damage usually shows up when it’s hot and dry because without a good root system the grasses in your lawn will start dying. Damaged areas in your lawn feel spongy when you walk on the grass because of the tunneling that’s taking place under the soil’s surface. If the damage is extensive the grass can be pulled up like carpet because the roots have been chewed off.
Skunks, crows, and other critters dig up your lawn to get to the grubs. In the fall when skunks are instinctively packing away food to fatten up for the winter they can destroy a lawn in one night if it has a heavy grub infestation. Look for little holes in your flower beds. That usually tells you that the birds and other critters have been digging for grubs.
During the summer months when the soil is warm the grubs are usually at a depth of 2″ or less. As winter approaches they go deeper into the soil and become almost inactive. As soon as spring arrives and the soil temperatures increase they move back toward the surface and start feeding on the roots of your lawn once again. It’s a vicious cycle and if your neighbor isn’t treating for grubs then they can work their way into your yard, whether it be the grubs or Japanese Beetles that do damage.
They eat away for another 4-6 weeks, then emerge from the soil’s surface as adult Japanese Beetles and start feeding on your beautiful landscape. As they devour your landscape they start laying batches of eggs, usually 20-60 eggs per female beetle; then tthe life cycle starts all over again.
You can lift areas of sod in your lawn where you suspect you might have white grub infestation and look for the grubs. They are white in color and range in size from 1/2″ to 1″ long. If you have more than 6 grubs per square foot it’s time to think about a way to control them.
Now is the time to treat and prevent Japanese Beetle damage as well as grub damage. This is the best time of year to treat for grubs because they are so close to the surface of the soil. We recommend using Milky Spore. Its an organic way to treat and prevent these landscape destroyers. You apply this two years in a row and will not have to treat for up to 20 years. Come in for more details.
Whatever you do, do not put Japanese Beetle traps in your yard. They attract them into your yard and will damage the foliage in your landscape. Go for the long term approach with Milky Spore!