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Is this Grub Damage?

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QuadRacer041

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
here are a few pics of 2 of my lawns.Does this look like grub damage?
they were treated for grub's by a company i sub contract out.

the last pic is the same house just differnt section of lawn

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#2 ·
If it is grub damage, the brown turf should pull up easily. The depth of the "plug" should be about 1 1/2". You should easily see grubs under the "plug." At least that is how one can tell grub damage in my area.

However, in my area, the grub damage does not tend to be widespread. The spots tend to be isolated, a 6" diameter spot here, a 12" one there, another at 10" and the like. By this time of the season, any grub infested area has been dug up by skunks, pulling back the sod chunks to get easy access to the grubs. The skunks will tear up large chunks, so that the turf is so uneven it cannot be mowed across. It looks like somebody used a mattox to dug up a top layer of turf.
 
#4 ·
From looks alone it most certainly CANNOT be said to be grub damage. Looks like there are clumps of tall fescue that were left alone within the brown areas. Check for a surface insect like Chinch bug or Billbug, they will usually go around tall fescue.. If it IS grub damage, as stated earlier it is very easy to tell by seeing if it pulls up like loose carpet.
 
#5 ·
What is the variety of turf? I usually see bird holes, they seem to know where the grubs are. I don't know if you get pearle scale there but that is also a possibility. Dig on the fringe of the live grass if you have grubs they should be easy to find. If its pearle scale there will be tiny pearls off white to light pink in color, just below the thatch layer. They are about the size of a pin head or a small fertilizer prill. Pray for grubs you can kill those.
 
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#6 ·
It IS rather odd that there are tufts of grass left standing, but I've seen it before with grub damage. Pull the stuff up, and pull back 6 to 12 inches on the outside of the area and you will see the grubs.
 
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#7 ·
A shovel is the easiest way to find grubs. Like stated, go the the fringe between the green and brown and dig a 6" diameter spot a couple inches deep and see if you find any. you can pick thru the soil on the roots and check there too. With no bird holes I'd doubt that there are grubs there. But really going by that, or skunk activity is pretty vague... What if there isn't many birds in the area, and no skunks?

I also recall from Pesticide training class there is one brand of laundry detergent you can use mixed with water (borax or tide) and pour it over a 3'x3' area and within X minutes the grubs, or whatever worm it was, will come spilling to the surface, allowing you to count the population. Iv'e never tried it, but I know it's a method to use.
 
#8 ·
Jason Rose said:
I also recall from Pesticide training class there is one brand of laundry detergent you can use mixed with water (borax or tide) and pour it over a 3'x3' area and within X minutes the grubs, or whatever worm it was, will come spilling to the surface, allowing you to count the population. Iv'e never tried it, but I know it's a method to use.
Click to expand...
It does work and it's an alternative to the pyrethrin test. Irritates the snot out of them and sends them to the surface. If you discover too many then you have a problem and will have to treat. I'd have to get into my QAC stuff to get more info but if you do an Internet search of "pyrethrin test" you'll come up with invaluable info including pictures of various damaged turfgrasses. It will also tell you which times of the year to test for different insects and how to treat.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
the spots do NOT pull up easy.it feels like the roots are still in there pretty good.when i pull a section up i dont see any grubs at all, im thinking it may be chinch bugs.i want to add that i am in north jersey, it has been a very hot humid summer with very litle rain.what ever this is looks to be a very very commion problem this year.i see it on many other lawns in area's i work.
 
#10 ·
looks like a fungal problem called summer patch. i've never seen grub damage that bad before.

bayleton will treat the problem and then you will have to re-seed. usually the problem will start small. it usually looks like the turf needs to be watered. The problem is the supplemental water spreads the fungus and this is what you end up with.
 
#12 ·
QuadRacer041 said:
here are a few pics of 2 of my lawns.Does this look like grub damage?
they were treated for grub's by a company i sub contract out.

the last pic is the same house just differnt section of lawn
Click to expand...
Looks like drought conditions in areas that the sun shines in all day. I have a couple properties that look the same.

Gene
 
#13 ·
Looks like sod webworm infestation/damage. Does the lawn look like it has been clipped very close to the base? Have you seen little white moths fluttering around?

Do you have access to Dylox? Too late for that......... just quote the repair aeration and slit seed. Try to rebuild the turf density before its too late.

ChicagoLawn
 
#14 ·
I can't begin to figure out why you would need a shovel or any other kind of tool to find the number of grubs that would do that kind of damage. Grasp a damaged piece and tug. If it is grubs you will see a sizable number of them as the turf pulls up like carpet and they will be RIGHT THERE. Since you have already said it is firmly rooted and suspect chinch bugs, that is also fairly easy. Part the grass and look in the thatch area and you should see them scurrying all around, especially on a sunny dry day. If that doesn't work, look for the signs of billbug damage. Combine all of this with the time of year the damage occurred.
Overall, this fellow has gotten some really poor and halfbaked answers from people who should know better. A trend I am seeing more and more on this site.
 
#15 ·
Looks alot like a yard I lost to a great dane this year. Especially since the patches curve with the shape of the border in the back yard. Do they have a big dog? That would also explain why some sprigs of the fescue stayed alive, just never hit that exact spot. But.. all in all I dunno :)
 
#16 ·
It does not look like grub damage. Looks like it is Chinch bug damage. Check the thatch layer for them. Lots of lawns around here have Chinch bugs this year.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
thanks for the replies guys.looks like i can rule out grubs, so its down to either chinch bugs or summer patch.ill be there to cut today so ill check out the area's a little more.
 
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