Grubs are a common pest that loves to dine on the roots of your grass. Grubs are actually baby beetles and can quickly ruin your lawn if not detected and taken care of. The normal life of a grub is calender based. Usually July finds adults looking for a place to lay new eggs for the next generation. At the end of July into August, the eggs are mature enough to hatch and begin munching on the roots of your lawn. Grubs go into hibernation for the winter, and reach adulthood around July. There are natural predators that consume grubs such as skunks, raccoons, and moles. Grub infestation can be detected either by patches of your lawn that have died or are brown in color, or small areas which look like small animals have been digging.

Grubs and beetles go hand in hand. Food source is very important for survival. If you have a lot of ornamental plants, you have probably seen Japanese Beetles hanging around. If you see adults, there's a good chance they are going to be laying eggs and producing. Water source is also important. Since July is usually a very dry month. watering can attract these pests inviting them to move in.

To determine if your yard is being infested with grubs, do this simple test. Take a sample of earth with a shovel cutting three side 12 inches long. Lift up the patch and count the number of grubs found in this sample. When you are done, place the earth back down and water a little so it will grow.

In the square foot area, if you find zero to five grubs, all is well. Grubs are a natural occurrence and are needed in small quantities. If you find more than five but less than ten, you have a small over population problem that needs to be tended to. More than ten is a serious infestation problem which will leave you with a dead yard if not taken care of.

August is the month to take care of a serious grub infestation problem. Grubs will be closest to the surface at this time and easier to eliminate. For a natural solution, try products that have nematodes. Nematodes are parasites that live on grubs. They will get rid of the grub problem and not damage the lawn. Follow the directions carefully, and they will kill the population of grubs nicely. You can perform the test again and should see grubs that are brown and dieing.

Chemical products are also available. But as with all harsh chemicals, be sure to read the directions as the product is probably toxic to humans and animals. Proceed with care and caution when using any chemical solution in your yard or living areas.

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