Grubs can also damage grass directly by feeding on the roots, which can deprive the grass of important nutrients and result in ugly brown patches, so getting rid of grubs will improve the appearance and health of your grass in several ways.
If you want to know how to get rid of grubs, first you have to know how to identify them. Grubs are the larvae of various types of beetles, both large and small. That means that grubs themselves can be small, about a half-inch long and a quarter-inch in diameter, or surprisingly large think the length and width of your thumb, or sometimes even larger—yikes!
Most also have brown or dark-gray heads, six small legs clustered together close to the head and the rest of their curved bodies extending beyond that.
To eliminate grubs from your yard or garden, you can try natural approaches, such as adding nematodes or milky spore to the grass or soil. Milky spore creates milky disease, essentially an unfavorable bacterial environment in the soil that makes it inhospitable to grubs. Both milky spore and nematodes are appealing options for homeowners who want to avoid using chemicals on their lawns, but do be forewarned that if your yard has lots of grubs, it can take several years for either of these remedies to become established enough to kill off the larvae.
As with other insect larvae, grubs grow from eggs, which need water to survive. Thus, another natural, low-impact option for eliminating grubs from your yard is to take advantage of natural weather conditions by not watering your grass for at least a month in the heat of summer. Creating drought conditions in your yard will help to kill off grubs in the following year. Your grass will also go dormant, of course, but it should revive when you start watering again or when autumn rains arrive.
A quicker option is to eliminate grubs using chemical products designed either to kill off existing larvae or prevent future generations. There are several issues with this approach, however. Using harsh chemicals in your yard will kill off all kinds of insects, including beneficial ones. Chemicals can also pose a threat to anyone who spends time in the yard, including children and pets.
There are a few tips and tricks for keeping skunks and other animals out of your yard so you can go back to having a beautiful, green lawn, including:. One of the most effective ways to stop animals from digging holes in your lawn at night is by calling in a wildlife control expert who can remove these creatures and relocate them to an area that will make for a better home and then take measures to close future entryways to keep these animals away going forward.
Homeowners often find that keeping larger pests from damaging their lawn requires the help of a professional. Need Help Getting Rid of Pests? ABC has you covered! These rodents occur throughout the western two-thirds of the United States in 13 different species.
They average 8 to 10 inches long, with large incisor teeth and long front claws. Gophers dig long underground tunnels as they snip off and eat the roots of grasses, flowers and other plants, killing them. If you live in the southeastern United States and find shallow holes scattered across your lawn, your culprit could be a nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus. These nocturnal, opossum-sized gray animals are distinguished by a hard, hairless outer shell that covers their bodies.
The animal digs holes in turf up to 3 inches deep and 5 inches in diameter as it searches for insects, worms and grubs.
They also dig burrows 10 inches across and 3 to 4 feet deep in soft soil across their feeding territory. Each animal may have five to 10 burrows. Herb Kirchhoff has more than three decades of hands-on experience as an avid garden hobbyist and home handyman. Skunks are precise diggers and act as a great natural grub control. They dig little holes and create a pseudo aeration in their quest to find food. Broadcasting grass seed on top of skunk damage is never a bad idea.
Raccoons are less polite than skunks. They like to flip over whole sections of turf looking for food. If you see the damage quickly enough, you can flip the sod back over and point the grass blades up. If you can water that flipped back sod, it should recover.
How do I stop animals from digging up my lawn? About Good Nature Good Nature is an Organic Lawn Care company dedicated to providing you with the best services and information to have a healthy, chemical-free lawn and landscape.
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