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Got grubs? The only way to get rid of them is to hire a skunk, says St. Lawrence Cooperative Extension expert

Posted 5/27/13

By PAUL HETZLER They’re an international delicacy and at 42 percent protein, highly nutritious, and North Country residents are raising them in droves: lawn grubs. Turf damage from grub feeding has …

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Got grubs? The only way to get rid of them is to hire a skunk, says St. Lawrence Cooperative Extension expert

Posted

By PAUL HETZLER

They’re an international delicacy and at 42 percent protein, highly nutritious, and North Country residents are raising them in droves: lawn grubs.

Turf damage from grub feeding has been unusually bad this spring, compounded by skunks, moles and crows grubbing for the tasty critters. Grubs are the immature (larval) form of beetles like European chafers, Japanese beetles, Oriental beetles, and the newly arrived Asiatic garden beetles. They kill grass by eating the roots to the point that chunks of turf can be pulled up like a carpet.

Unfortunately, the only time grubs will succumb to any product, whether natural or chemical, is when they’re young, in August and early September. Right now, lawn grubs are getting ready to pupate and emerge as adults, and the only way to kill them would be to hire a band of skunks. But then you’d have other problems.

One bright spot is that a new product has arrived on the market that appears to be both non-toxic and very effective. It poses no threat to bees, which has been a concern with one of the most commonly used grub control chemicals, one that was recently banned in Europe to protect bees.

This new compound has a catchy name, chlorantraniliprole. It’s a challenge to say, but it’s important to know so you can be sure you’re getting the right product. It’s available to homeowners this year under the brand name GrubEx. Some of last year’s formulations with the old chemical, imidicloprid, are still on the shelves, so read the label.

As mentioned, timing is critical. Here’s the confusing part: chlorantraniliprole takes 60 to 90 days to become effective, so it has to be applied by early June at the latest in order to be effective in August. Older products are still available, and each has a different time for application. Imidacloprid has to be applied in June or July. Trichlorfon is much more toxic than the other two options and must be applied in late summer.

Because applying grub treatments now is a complete waste of money, not to mention ineffective, the best thing to do is to reseed bare lawn areas, and always mow high (3 inches) so the grass will produce stronger roots. Or, you could mix some batter, fire up the deep fryer and go collect some dinner.

PESTICIDE DISCLAIMER: Every effort has been made to provide correct, complete and up-to-date pesticide recommendations. Nevertheless, changes in pesticide regulations occur constantly, and human errors are still possible. These recommendations are not a substitute for pesticide labeling. Please read the label before applying any pesticide and follow the directions exactly.

Paul Hetzler is a forester and a horticulture and natural resources educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County.