Grub and sod webworm are common bugs that do damage to lawns in Northern Utah. With the hot weather this year these two pests have exploded in lawns causing damage. The trick of eliminating them from your lawn is knowing which one to treat for. They both looks similar and do similar damage but need different products to treat for them. Below are some tips and tricks of knowing what bug you have and how to get rid of them.
Tips and Tricks
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Grub |
Grub, the more commonly known of the two bugs, is a white c shaped bug that feeds on the roots of the grass. This bug is the larvae of a beetle. The most common time to see this bug is in the summer through June and July. Damage to the lawn will show up as an irregularly shaped browning patch that doesn't green up with proper watering. It will also pull up very easy like carpet. The reason it pulls up easy is because the root of the grass, that anchors it to the ground, is gone.
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Grub Damage |
There are a couple things you can do to treat grub. Once you have grub in is best to put a grub curative product down. This is a faster acting product that will take care of the grub before they have time to do more damage. Once you have grub it is very likely that you will get it again the next year. Apply a grub preventative, in the late spring/early summer, to reduce your chances of getting grub. Damage from grub usually comes back once the grub have been taken care of.
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Sod Webworm |
The first big difference between
sod webworm and grub is that sod webworm is the larvae of a moth not a beetle. It is a brownish, long, skinny, caterpillar like bug. They feed on the blade of the grass and can to substantial damage very quick. Sod webworm are most active at night. You can go to bed with a healthy lawn and wake up with a brown dead looking lawn. Some common signs of sod webworm are brown spots that do not green up with water, the lawn pulls up like carpet, and moths fly out of the lawn. It is most common to see webworm in the fall starting late July and into August. These bugs can also over winter in web cocoons and reemerge in the spring.
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Sod Webworm Damage |
Treatment is similar to the way you treat for grub. You will just want to make sure it is a product that will take care of sod webworm. It is important to remember that treatments for sod webworm will take care of the larvae and eggs but don't usually take care of the adult moths. Preventative products for sod webworm should be applied in the late summer. The moths do not damage to the lawn. Damage caused by sod webworm will have a harder time coming back than with grub damage. It will sometime need seeding or new sod to fully revive the lawn. If you have any questions on determining what bug is in your lawn or for help treating the lawn for bugs, please
contact us.
Be Aware of
Please remember that to have a healthy lawn next year your lawn needs water this year. The heat combined with drought conditions has caused a lot of stress on your lawn. Your lawn needs to be watered at least once a week to come back next year. Even if your lawn looks dead it has just gone into dormancy early. Giving it water each week will help to sustain it through the heat and into the winter. Follow this link to a previous blog post about watering in a drought.
Looking for a healthy, green, and weed free lawn?
Contact us today at: 435-753-5296 or mylawn@lawndoctorutah.com