Grubs Everywhere

[captn]

Help me out here guys. I bought a house last year with a 1 acre plus lawn.

The lawn was completely neglected and I spent the last year really bringing it back to life. It was looking great until a couple weeks ago.

I just got done planting some trees and flowerbeds, and noticed with every shovel full of black dirt, there could be as many as 10-15 grub worms.

This seems like an pretty bad ifestation here and I'm looking for product advice since I just laid down a weed and feed prior to finding this out. there are bare spots popping up everywhere:dizzy:

Thanks for the input.

Captn.

[cgaengineer]

Go to your local Lesco and get some Dylox. I just had the same problem and used Dylox and my problem is gone. I had brown spots and also large hollow sounding areas. The product needs to be watered in but works very well. Follow up with a grub prevention later in the season.

[RigglePLC]

In Michigan grub control is not recommended after the 2nd week of May. Because the grubs pupate and turn into adult beetles in early June. They are probably done feeding by now.The beetles emerge and fly away. If they are Japanese beetles they will feed on your bushes for a few weeks. If European chafer they do not actually feed much. Concentrate your efforts on an application of Merit about the 4th of July. Kill the next generation and you are safe for until July 2009.

[cgaengineer]

In Michigan grub control is not recommended after the 2nd week of May. Because the grubs pupate and turn into adult beetles in early June. They are probably done feeding by now.The beetles emerge and fly away. If they are Japanese beetles they will feed on your bushes for a few weeks. If European chafer they do not actually feed much. Concentrate your efforts on an application of Merit about the 4th of July. Kill the next generation and you are safe for until July 2009.

Would Dylox not control them now especially if he is still seeing grubs?

[captn]

Alot of beetles did fly away. portions of the yard look like it was aerated.

Out of curiousity, I stuck another shovel in the ground this morning, and still a ricockulous amount of grubs.

Merit or Dylox?? active ingredient for pesticide the same?

[cgaengineer]

Dylox is a contact insecticide and it kills active grubs. If what you are telling me is correct and they are flying away then you should be ok not treating now and you can treat with merit in July (as RigglePLC suggested) when grass is actively growing as merit is absorbed into the grass itself and the grubs eat the roots and the grubs are poisoned. What you will be treating with merit is new grubs. All of your grubs are now emerging into beetles so treatment will not be needed and nor will it be of any use. I treated a few weeks ago and had really good luck with Dylox but I beat them before they were turning into beetles. Hopefully the damage you have now will repair before time to treat in July. Like RigglePLC said you will be good until 2009 with Merit.

[TforTexas]

No, Merit is a preventitive that takes 20-30 days to get set up in the plant and is only effective against the juvenile grubs. Dylox is the quick active contact control to get rid of existing populations.
Use the Dylox to kill what you've got now and then put the Merit down in May/June to prevent damage from the fall hatch.

[tlg]

Would Dylox not control them now especially if he is still seeing grubs?

Don't waste your time killing something that's going to fly away soon. Dylox may give some control now but don't waste your money. Go with an extended control product and get the grubs when the hatch from egg stage. Spring grub applications are generally not needed because the grubs are too large for effective control, the damage they do is usually minimal do to active growth in the lawn, cool temps and frequent rain. Most of the damage you see in the spring occurred last fall. This would apply to northern climates.

[americanlawn]

In the Midwest, the most common grubworm feeding occurs from mid August thru November (Norther mask chafer), but ocassionally, outbreaks can occur in May......then dylox is in order.

[captn]

OK,

So a distribution of Merit (or preventative equivelent) next month, with an application of Dylox (or contact control) next May if needed.......right?

Any issue on the timing of these chemicals with my standard fert application?

Thanks all.

[americanlawn]

Dylox now. Then Merit in July -- if you put Merit on too early, it will wear out before late fall. We see the heaviest grubworm damage occurring in September/October. We're in central Iowa, and we apply Merit from late June thru early August...guaranteed results.:usflag:

[mattfromNY]

Anything to get the beetles while they are feeding on the roses? I just got my certification, one of my customers living near a golf course has a pretty good infestation every year that feed on her roses and shrubs. Sevin? or something similar?

[tlg]

OK,

So a distribution of Merit (or preventative equivelent) next month, with an application of Dylox (or contact control) next May if needed.......right?

Any issue on the timing of these chemicals with my standard fert application?

Thanks all.

If you use Merit this summer you should not have a grub problem period. Apply at the correct rate and water in well. There is no problem fertilizing with these insecticides. In fact if you are going to fertilize, buy merit with fertilizer. Why go over the lawn twice?

[greendoctor]

Anything to get the beetles while they are feeding on the roses? I just got my certification, one of my customers living near a golf course has a pretty good infestation every year that feed on her roses and shrubs. Sevin? or something similar?

This is actually the best use for Merit. At 1.4g/foot of shrub height, Merit WP will kill beetles and prevent damage for the rest of the growing season. This is applied as a soil drench. I do not reccomend Sevin or pyrethroids(bifenthrin, cyfluthrin) because you will then be commited to a 7-14 day spraying cycle and this is very hard on beneficial insects. Sevin will cause aphid and mite flare up because it kills their predators better than the pests.

[RigglePLC]

Greendoc you are so right. Sevin makes mites worse! And the Merit as a root drench is a good idea on the shrubs. Is that 1.4 grams per foot of height? Or 1.4 gallons --or ?

[whoopassonthebluegrass]

...and still a ricockulous amount of grubs.

Cool word. I think I'll use it in church tomorrow. :)

[greendoctor]

Greendoc you are so right. Sevin makes mites worse! And the Merit as a root drench is a good idea on the shrubs. Is that 1.4 grams per foot of height? Or 1.4 gallons --or ?

Its 1.4 grams per foot of shrub height or 1 6.4 oz. foil bag per 100 ft of shrub height. I normally apply this as a soil injection but doing this is illegal in New York.

[Runner]

I found a whole bunch of small grubs yesterday in a damaged area of a new account. In the midst of all this was a full grown June bug...full grown. you can rest assured I will be in there early this week to hit those with Dylox. They are still feeding. It is weird... you look at this area I dug up, and you would think it is late August.

[rcreech]

Its 1.4 grams per foot of shrub height or 1 6.4 oz. foil bag per 100 ft of shrub height. I normally apply this as a soil injection but doing this is illegal in New York.


Green Doc,

I just bought a Lesco deep root feeder and have not used it yet. I am planning on using it for fertilizer, and insect apps (Merit).

How much pressure do you use when injecting?

Have any of you ever heard of Milky Spore?

A customer told me about it this week and it is supposed to be a 15 YEAR, organic product for grub control. Just curious as I am kinda skeptical about it. I have a call into OSU and should hear back soon. Let me know if you have heard of it.

[greendoctor]

150 PSI is plenty to get fertilizers and Merit into the soil. I have another injector set-up that uses a Meterjet gun attached to a small 1/4" needle. That takes the place of the Kioritz soil injector. I use it for treating entire shrub plantings. The gun will dispense up to 1/2 oz at a time, so I mix accordingly and apply shots all around each shrub. I can treat over 200 ft of shrub height in about 30 minutes.

Milky spore is very good for true Japanese Beetle. In my case it is useless because I have severe problems with other leaf feeding beetles and grubs in the turf that Milky Spore will have no effect on. Beneficial nematodes are another biological control out there. I cannot use that either. DOA prohibits the importation of nematodes and live insects of any kind into Hawaii. In recent years, though I have seen a decrease in the population of beetles, probably because of the extensive use of Merit. The other "landscapers" do soil drenches

[rcreech]

150 PSI is plenty to get fertilizers and Merit into the soil. I have another injector set-up that uses a Meterjet gun attached to a small 1/4" needle. That takes the place of the Kioritz soil injector. I use it for treating entire shrub plantings. The gun will dispense up to 1/2 oz at a time, so I mix accordingly and apply shots all around each shrub. I can treat over 200 ft of shrub height in about 30 minutes.

Milky spore is very good for true Japanese Beetle. In my case it is useless because I have severe problems with other leaf feeding beetles and grubs in the turf that Milky Spore will have no effect on. Beneficial nematodes are another biological control out there. I cannot use that either. DOA prohibits the importation of nematodes and live insects of any kind into Hawaii. In recent years, though I have seen a decrease in the population of beetles, probably because of the extensive use of Merit. The other "landscapers" do soil drenches

Thanks!

Do you have any thoughts on the Arbor Jet's new gun. I was looking at it today on the net. I think I may get that specifically for EAB treatments. Their new product is 99.9% effective and they say it works much better then Merit. Know anything about it.

[greendoctor]

Sure do. I am not crazy about drilling holes in a living, but stressed tree. It seems counterintuitive to me. I woud rather do microinjections into the soil.

[greendoctor]

Or Safari with PenetraBark. Basal applications of materials in a suitable carrier will work. I normally use basals to kill trees rather than save them though. It is amazing what some Garlon and 2,4-D in diesel will do, yet you have not sprayed the leaves or cut into the bark, it still works.

[GrazerZ]

I would say dylox, but here in maine you need the paper to get it.