What are White Grubs?

White Grubs in Soil

White grubs (European Chafer, Japanese Beetles, May Beetles and June Beetles) are small plump white larvae which actively feed on turf grass roots.

They live below the soil surface and chew off the base roots of the green grass plants.

After they destroy the grass roots and greenery, the lawn will appear unhealthy, weak or yellow in patches, as if the lawn is drying out.

Other symptoms to watch for include; animals like sharks (seeing if your paying attention….NO SHARKS) skunks and raccoons digging up the lawn and birds feeding on grubs leaving pencil sized holes.

Often the damaged turf will roll back easily like a carpet as the root system has been eaten away.

Life Cycle of the White Grub

Click Here For A Free Quote

The Minneapolis summer season is practically synonymous with insects and creepy crawlers. A few harmless beetles shouldn’t be a cause for concern then…right? Unfortunately, Japanese beetles should set off warning bells. If you happen to take pride in having a healthy, green lawn, that is. While the beetles themselves do not cause damage to lawns, their larvae (white grubs) pose a major threat to most Minneapolis turfgrass species.

White grubs will aggressively chew on a lawn’s root system until there is nothing left. This causes the lawn to turn brown and roll back like a carpet or newly-laid sod. Consider the presence of beetles on your property a red flag – or, at the very least, a reminder to schedule your preventative grub control treatment. While your lawn is relatively safe in the pre-larvae stage, surrounding foliage on your property may be at risk. These green and copper-colored beetles feed on about 300 species of plants, devouring leaves, flowers, and overripe or wounded fruit. They usually feed in groups, starting at the top of a plant and working downward. They are highly mobile creatures and are most active on warm, sunny days, and prefer plants that are in direct sunlight. Life Cycle The majority of white grubs and Japanese beetles complete their life cycle in one year, while others require three years. White grubs survive in the winter as larvae in the soil. In the early spring they begin to feed again.

Later, in the spring and summer, they enter a resting stage (pupae) and then hatch into adult beetles. The presence of many Japanese beetles on your Minneapolis, MN property can mean a grub problem down the road, as there will be higher populations and reproduction.  Grub damage is most severe in the spring and the fall, when grubs are actively feeding near the surface of the root zone. As the lawn’s root system is eaten away, the grass will start to discolor. Left to non-diagnosis, grubs can devastate a lawn in a short period of time. Adult Japanese beetles often return to the same area year after year to mate and lay eggs. If you’ve had grub problems in the past, you will most likely need an annual preventative control program to help eliminate grubs and prevent further damage to your Minneapolis lawn. Your localWeed Man professional is trained to recognize grub damage and potential threats to the health and vigor of your lawn.  Call (612) 405-2660 or request an online quote to find out how we can help your lawn look its best. Providing lawn care from Stillwater to Plymouth, Savage to Farmington and in between, Minneapolis Lawn Care Professionals.

Struggles with Japanese Beetles and White Grubs? Get help from your local lawn care professional!