This spring has proven to be a challenging time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, life will gradually get back to a new normal, and there are some things that should be monitored in your yard.
Grubs in your lawn are usually the immature larvae of the adult Japanese Beetles or European Crane Fly insects. At this stage, they ferociously feed on the roots of cool season turfgrasses, causing thin, dead patches in a home lawn to appear this time of year. At severe infestation locations, the grass can even be lifted up (like sod) with your hand. To make matters worse, skunks and raccoons are attracted to these insects, as they are a good source of food. The rodents then proceed to dig up the infested lawn looking for their meal, leaving behind a freshly ‘rototilled’ appearance to even the most prized lawns. After the Provincial ‘Cosmetic Pesticide Use’ Ban of April 2009, there have not been very effective control measures available to stop this repeated damage from occurring.
GRUB GONE™ and Grub Removal
Fortunately, PLANT PRODUCTS released GRUB GONE™, a Class 11, Bio-Insecticide last year to effectively deal with these lawn pests, while complying with the Provincial legislation. We tried this product on four (4) sites, having grub insect problems. The results were outstanding, with control measures being in excess of 90%. Lawns stayed healthy and grew vigorously through the fall, with no visible signs of grub activity. GRUB GONE™ is not available in stores, and can only be applied by Provincially licensed and fully insured Exterminators (like us). The optimal time to apply this product is July, as the eggs of the next generation are beginning to hatch. The insect lifecycles chart appears below, published by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
If your lawn is looking a bit thin this spring, or rodents are digging up your lawn, please give us a call so we can properly diagnose the problem(s) and schedule an application of GRUB GONE™ if grubs are the culprit. We serve the Hamilton, Burlington & Oakville areas.
