Grub problem in lawn? - Ask Extension
I planted a bee-friendly front yard last spring using a UofM seed mix, fine fescue, white clover, creeping thyme, etc. It seemed to be doing well, bu...
Knowledgebase
Grub problem in lawn? #816147
Asked November 08, 2022, 3:23 PM EST
I planted a bee-friendly front yard last spring using a UofM seed mix, fine fescue, white clover, creeping thyme, etc. It seemed to be doing well, but when I raked leaves last week, clumps of grass came off the lawn, leaving bare spots (see photo). An internet search indicated that grubs might be the cause. However, I did pull up a clump of grass in the problem area; there was no sign of grubs. Some questions: Since I just planted this lawn last summer, is the problem likely to be Japanese beetles, since they have a 1-year cycle? Should I try to do a dormant seeding this fall or wait until Spring to treat the grubs and then reseed? Other ideas? Thanks for your help
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/japanese-beetles#when-to-treat-1592860
Hi,
Maybe you have already seen the above link but it has a lot of good information in it if you read the entire piece.
I'm pretty sure Japanese Beetles are your problem. Decide how bad/much damage there is, do you want to wait and see if some of the other plants in the seed mixture fill in ? I bet ( admit I don't know) they don't like the roots of creeping thyme.
The link below is the organic method for grub control.
These little devils are so frustrating, eventually some birds will develop a taste for them (actually Starlings eat both the beetle and grub).
I'm not sure if I would seed this Fall as you are just providing more food for them.
Hope this helps.
Hi Sally,
Question #0086076 has been assigned to you by SYSTEM (Auto Assignment)
Grub problem in lawn?
I planted a bee-friendly front yard last spring using a UofM seed mix, fine fescue, white clover, creeping thyme, etc. It seemed to be doing well, but when I raked leaves last week, clumps of grass came off the lawn, leaving bare spots (see photo). An internet search indicated that grubs might be the cause. However, I did pull up a clump of grass in the problem area; there was no sign of grubs. Some questions: Since I just planted this lawn last summer, is the problem likely to be Japanese beetles, since they have a 1-year cycle? Should I try to do a dormant seeding this fall or wait until Spring to treat the grubs and then reseed? Other ideas? Thanks for your helpFrom: Deborah Hennrikus
Submitted: 11/08/2022 3:23 PM
To view/respond to the question, please login.Please join the Ask Extension Experts group in Connect Extension. We will use that group to post updates about Ask Extension.
This message was sent by Ask Extension. If you need help, please visit https://askhelp.extension.org/.
Thanks very much for this information!
Deb
