Thinking about treating for grubs?

Editor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.  

Lawn and landscape: no need to treat for grubs at this time

European chafer grubs are about done feeding this spring. If your lawn sustained some grub injury last fall or early this spring, it is better to wait and apply GrubEx, Season-long Grub Control or another product containing imidacloprid in July. This will protect your lawn against grubs in late summer and fall. Most areas of the state have good soil moisture now and the turf is growing fast. This will allow the turf to out-grow any late spring feeding damage from grubs.

Golf course treatments for grubs

Some golf course superintendents like to treat fairways, tees and greens with Merit or Arena in May, so they can get some spring and early summer help with Ataenius, Aphodius and ants, as well as adequate control of Japanese beetle in late summer and fall. This is fine for those that have an on-going Japanese beetle problem and want to get the most out of their grub treatments. However, for golf courses that have a problem with European chafer in the rough, you will get much better grub control if you wait until July to use the Merit or Arena in the rough.

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