Finally, all of your hard work is paying off and your
domestic lawn is beginning to show results. It is so verdant and lush it is
beginning to resemble a carpet. Suddenly, you spy a tiny patch of brown, but
you do not panic. Probably just a bit of a burn from fertilizer, or maybe it
just needs a spot of water. You decide to set the sprinkler out on it for an
extra fifteen minutes or so and it will all be right. However, rather than
coming good, over the next week the patch of brown begins to grow. This is a
nightmare for people concerned about lawn care; this is lawn grub. Lawn grubs
are worms. They are either army worm, or white curl grub.
You may have thought that you were impervious to such
insidious pests because of the great care you take in maintaining your lawn.
Ironically, it is because of the pains you take with your lawn making you a
possible victim to these pests, because they do not crave the weedy brown lawns
your neighbors struggle to maintain. These creatures want the best, and you are
providing it for them. There are ways, however, to prevent yourself from
falling prey to lawn grub.
Most pesticides on the market, however, only work on
existing lawn grub problems. They do not deal with preventative measures. There
are some granular varieties which will prevent the infestation, but only for a
while. The way to prevent grub from happening is to thwart moths. Moth spawn
become lawn grub, so attack the eaves and fences of your house and yard with a
broom and hose. Moth nests look like little cotton balls, but by keeping these
areas clean and free of debris, you will be ensuring, for the most part, the
prevention of moth nests.
You will not like to hear this, but once you have an
infestation, the most reliable approach to dealing with it is through
chemicals. Perhaps the most effective one out there is Clorpyrifos. It comes in
liquid concentrate and can be sprayed onto your lawn. Unfortunately, this
chemical is lethal for other life forms coming in contact with it, including
children. Birds are attracted to the wiggling worms coming crawling out of the
lawn to die, so you would want to spray as late as possible when birds are less
active. Be sure to follow the label's directions on any chemical you plan to
use. The treatment usually spans a two week period, with spraying in the first,
seventh and eleventh day.
If you cannot be certain you will not be harming animals
with a chemical treatment and want to use a natural approach, attract
carnivorous birds to your lawn. A couple of dodgy methods which may also work
include watering your lawn with soap, causing the worms to exit, or flooding
them to death with water.
However, as they say, prevention is half the battle, so keep
the eaves and fences clean, and keep a careful eye upon your lawn.
If you want to learn more about maintaining your lawn, visit this link: http://centenarylandscapesupplies.tumblr.com/post/38072061638/tips-for-proper-turf-maintenance
