This is the time of year where we start getting calls from homeowners asking us to stop by and see why patches of their Michigan lawn is dead or torn up by some type of animal. Well, the damage is almost always caused by grubs. Grubs feed on the roots of your grass until the grass plant dies.
Lawns that are torn up are caused by skunks or even turkeys looking for and eating grubs hiding just under the grass. You may also see large numbers of blackbirds poking around dying areas of your lawn. They are looking for grubs as well.
To find grubs, simply grab areas of grass where the damage is taking place and it should pull up easily and reveal grubs underneath. Sometimes it takes a little digging around. Grubs are only active in the Spring and Fall. Grubs in the Spring transform into beetles. These beetles mate and lay eggs in the Summer. The eggs hatch and form new grubs which can damage lawns in the Fall. The Fall grubs dig deep into the soil to overwinter then emerge in the Spring to start the cycle over again.
Once you have determined that there is a grub problem, it is a simple process to control them. Apply a curative grub control application to effective stop any more damage from occurring. Then apply a preventative grub control application in the Summer to stop the grub life cycle in its tracks. The Summer grub preventative application will keep grubs out of your lawn for a full year. Areas damaged by grubs may come back on there own depending on the severity of the damage. However, I always recommend overseeding to get your lawn back in shape as quickly as possible. Have a great weekend!