Grub and Insect Damage: How to Spot It Early
The problem with grubs, chinch bugs, and armyworms is that by the time you see the damage clearly, you’ve already lost a section of lawn. Recovery takes a growing season at least. Early detection, knowing what to look for and when, is how professional turf management prevents the expensive damage.
White grubs: lift the turf.
Grubs are the larvae of June bugs and similar beetles. They feed on grass roots underneath the soil. The diagnostic test: tug on a suspect patch of grass. If it lifts off like a loose rug because the roots are gone, grubs have been working on it.
Other signs: unusual digging activity (skunks, birds, raccoons eating the grubs), spongy soft spots underfoot, irregular brown patches that don’t respond to watering. Peak activity in Rockwall is mid-June through August.
Chinch bugs: scout the edges.
On St. Augustine lawns in July and August, brown patches that spread outward from a sunny spot are chinch bug suspects. Pull back grass blades at the edge of the patch and look for small black-and-white insects around 3–4mm long. A soapy water drench (1 tablespoon dish soap in a gallon of water) poured over the suspect area will flush them to the surface within minutes.
Fall armyworms: check the fence line in September.
Fall armyworm outbreaks can strip a bermuda lawn in 48 hours. The worms feed at night, start at the edges of open lawns (especially adjacent to pasture or undeveloped lots), and travel as a front. Signs: “cut” lawn overnight, bare grass stems, small green worms visible in the morning.
If you see armyworm activity, act the same day. Treatment windows on this pest are hours, not days.
“Reactive treatment after you see damage is damage control. Preventive treatment during egg-lay is actual protection. The calendar difference is a few weeks. The lawn difference is everything.”
— Chris Rather, CGCS
See Rather Green’s grub and insect program →
Or call Chris directly at 972-649-9912 for a free lawn evaluation.
