How to Get Rid of Lawn Grubs (2023)

Lawn grubs are tiny, troublesome pests that cause brown patches in otherwise healthy lawns. Upon hatching, these immature beetles begin voraciously consuming grass roots, causing an estimated $156 million of damage in the United States each year. For homeowners facing an infestation, understanding how to get rid of lawn grubs is paramount. In this article, we’ll cover natural and chemical options for protecting your lawn.

 

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Types of Lawn Grubs

Lawn grubs, also known as white grubs, are the C-shaped larvae of beetles in the scarab family. Although adults in the scarab species come in distinct shapes, colors, and sizes, differentiating between grubs is difficult. They all have C-shaped, cream-colored bodies, three short pairs of legs, and brown heads.

The only definitive way to distinguish between white grub species is through careful examination of raster patterns, which is the arrangement of hairs and spines found on their abdomens. You need a powerful hand lens to see the raster pattern on most grubs, but Ohio State University published a helpful fact sheet with pictures of white grub raster patterns for easier comparison.

Beetle larvae generally hatch in mid- to late summer and feed on grass roots until the soil begins cooling in fall. Then they burrow deeper into the ground, reascend in the root zone in spring, and emerge as adults a few weeks later. Below is a breakdown of common lawn grubs found in the U.S.

Name	Distribution	Life Cycle
Asiatic garden beetles	From New England to Ohio and South Carolina	Hatch in mid- to late summer Overwinter Resume feeding in spring Pupate in late May or June Mature in late June or July
Black turfgrass ataenius	Across the U.S., particularly on golf courses	First generation hatches in spring, feeds, pupates, and matures by mid-July Second generation hatches in late July or August, matures by October, and overwinters as adults More generations per year possible in warmer states
European chafer beetles	States in the northeastern and upper midwestern U.S.	Hatch mid-summer Overwinter Pupate in May Mature around mid-June.
Green June beetles	Throughout the eastern and midwestern U.S.	Hatch in August and may emerge from the soil Overwinter Feed briefly in spring before pupating Mature mid-summer.
Japanese beetles	Most states in the eastern, southern, and midwestern U.S.	Hatch mid-summer Overwinter Resume activity in spring Mature in late June or early July
June bugs, May/June bugs, or June beetles	Throughout the U.S., but especially in northeastern states	Hatch in summer Overwinter each fall Resume activity each spring Mature in May or June of their fourth summer
Masked chafer beetles	Southern and midwestern states (southern masked chafer); Northeastern, central, and midwestern states (northern masked chafer)	Hatch in late July or early August and feed heavily Overwinter Feed briefly in spring before pupating Mature in late June
Oriental beetles	Most of the East Coast and west to Ohio and Wisconsin	Hatch by late July Overwinter Resume feeding in spring before pupating Matures mid-summer

 

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Signs of a Lawn Grub Infestation

Lawn grub damage often begins subtly but can escalate rapidly. First you’ll notice withering or dead patches of grass that don’t improve with regular watering. The grass may be so damaged that you can roll it back like a carpet. You might also notice birds, skunks, or raccoons digging in search of a meal.

If you believe your lawn may be affected by white grubs, follow these steps to confirm their presence:

• Cut a square. Mark off a 1-square foot section of turf along the border between a brown patch and healthy green grass. Use a shovel to cut three sides of the square about 2 to 4 inches deep.
• Count the grubs. Peel back the turf to expose the root system. Examine the soil for white, C-shaped grubs. They may vary in size. Count how many are in the square foot section.
• Return the turf. Gently lay the turf back down, water it well, and press it down firmly to make sure that the roots contact with the soil.

How many grubs healthy grass can tolerate varies slightly depending on the species of beetle. Generally, experts recommend treating your lawn when the grub population reaches 10 or more per square foot.

 

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How to Get Rid of Lawn Grubs Naturally

Homeowners who prefer organic lawn care can choose from several natural ways to get rid of lawn grubs.

Neem Oil

Neem oil is a natural insect repellent extracted from neem tree seeds. While it doesn’t kill grubs directly, it can disrupt their ability to feed, grow, and molt—eventually leading to their demise. Neem oil can also combat a variety of other pests and biodegrades without leaving harmful residue.

Nematodes

Beneficial nematodes are natural predators of lawn grubs. These microscopic roundworms seek out grubs, enter their bodies, and release bacteria that quickly kills them. They don’t harm beneficial insects or introduce harmful chemicals into the soil.

Milky Spore

Milky spore is a bacterium (Paenibacillus popilliae) that targets Japanese beetle grubs but has no effect on beneficial insects. It multiplies in grubs that ingest it through the soil, causing the grubs to die. As the infected grub decomposes, billions of new spores are released into the soil. Though this treatment is not immediately effective, it offers long-term protection.

Other Natural Methods

If you have lawn grubs in your garden or a small yard, hand-picking may be a viable option. You can also encourage the presence of birds in your yard and let them do the work for you. Set up bird feeders and bird baths to attract birds, or consider keeping chickens.

Beetle eggs and larvae need moist soil to survive, so you can try to kill them off by keeping your lawn dry during later summer and early fall. This, however, may damage your lawn.

 

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How to Get Rid of Lawn Grubs Chemically

When natural treatments aren’t effective, severe grub infestations may require curative or preventive insecticides. These products target different life stages and physiological processes of pests.

While insecticides are effective in reducing and eliminating grub populations, they can also harm beneficial insects, the environment, and even pets and humans. Choose insecticides carefully and use them judiciously to reduce risk.

Here are a few common insecticides for grub control:

Name	Active Ingredient	Class	Timing
Allectus	Imidacloprid + beta-cyfluthrin	Overstimulates and destroys nerve cells	Preventive
Aloft	clothianidin + bifenthrin	Overstimulates and destroys nerve cells	Preventive
Arena	clothianidin	Overstimulates and destroys nerve cells	Preventive
Dylox	trichlorfon	Disrupts brains and nervous systems	Curative
GrubEx	chlorantraniliprole	Causes uncontrolled muscle contractions	Preventive
Meridian	thiamethoxam	Overstimulates and destroys nerve cells	Preventive
Merit	imidacloprid	Overstimulates and destroys nerve cells	Preventive
Sevin	carbaryl	Disrupts the nervous system	Curative

The safety precautions for most insecticides are similar: Wear protective clothing during application and keep children and pets off the area while it dries. Some products may have more specific instructions, especially if they can be toxic to pollinators or animals.

Follow these steps to apply your insecticide of choice:

1. Read the label and follow all manufacturer instructions.
2. Mow and water your lawn a day before the application.
3. Dethatch your lawn, removing any organic matter that could impede saturation.
4. Use a spreader (for granules) or sprayer (for liquids).
5. Apply the solution evenly.
6. Water the lawn after application as directed.
7. Store leftover insecticides safely out of reach in their original containers.

Most lawn grub pesticides require preventive application, which means applying them when grubs are still young or before they hatch. A few promise curative benefits if applied later in summer or fall. However, late application curative pesticides come with more risks to beneficial insects, pets, and humans. Avoid applying insecticides on windy or rainy days to prevent drift or dilution.

 

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How to Prevent Lawn Grubs from Returning

The pursuit of a healthy lawn doesn’t end at removing grubs. You also have to make sure they don’t come back. It’s much easier and less expensive to prevent a grub infestation than to get rid of one.

Monitor Your Lawn Regularly

Grubs manifest slowly and subtly, but if left unchecked, they can cause rapid damage to your lawn. Keeping an eye out for signs of grub damage during the pivotal spring and fall seasons will give you a headstart against infestation.

Maintain a Healthy Lawn

Having a healthy lawn will reduce the likelihood of grub damage. If your lawn is already stressed, the presence of grub worms will be that much more devastating.

Water your lawn deeply but infrequently to encourage deep root growth. Keep your grass a bit taller than usual. Fertilize your lawn and aerate it regularly to improve water and nutrient penetration.

Control Adult Beetles

Getting rid of lawn grubs will not prevent adult beetles from overtaking your garden next year—but controlling adult beetles will definitely reduce the grub population. Fewer adult beetles means fewer eggs and therefore fewer grubs.

In early morning or late evening, hand-pick beetles from your plants and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. Use plant netting or row covers to provide a barrier against beetles or spray neem oil as a natural repellent. You can also introduce beneficial insects that naturally prey on beetles.

 

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Our Recommendation

Lawn grubs can be difficult to get rid of, but homeowners have options. Preventive insecticides, beneficial nematodes, and neem oil are a few methods to try. Mitigate the damage by maintaining your lawn and controlling adult beetle populations.

To learn more about local lawn grubs and how to deal with them, consult a professional lawn care company or pest control service. Many universities have extension programs that provide free, helpful information about local pests. University of New Hampshire, University of Massachusetts, University of Minnesota, and Penn State are a few examples.

 

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How We Chose the Top Pest Control Companies

Our pest control research process starts with analyzing customer reviews on third-party websites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot, and Google Reviews. We then do a deep dive into each company’s website, service plans, and available cost information. We also secret shop the companies we review, reach out to representatives, and request quotes.

From there, we compile the information we’ve gathered and compare each company using our in-depth pest control methodology and review criteria. This process uses a series of factors that are important to our readers, and we score each company depending on how well they perform in each factor. For instance, companies that offer more guarantees for their service earned more points than others, and pest control plans with a larger range of covered pests earned more points than ones with fewer.

After analyzing dozens of residential and commercial pest control businesses through this process, we were able to determine the best pest control companies on the market.