Posts Tagged ‘japanese beetles’

White Grubs in your NH or VT lawn

Published by mrgrass2 on May 8th, 2011 - in Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects

White grub damage on a lawn

I was just finishing up some yard work today and noticed some rather large, creamy color, C shaped grubs worms in a few sunny locations.  Given the current grub size, they are most difficult to control without some aggressive attention.  You have a few choices in May to knock back a grub infestation in your lawn.  Dylox is one of a few materials that will address grubs in a large state with generally satisfactory results.  There are only a few organic options worth reviewing like concentrated cedar oils, and capsaicin extract blended with other oils.  In either case, a repeat treatment can often be necessary given the mode of action, time of year, and size of the grub itself.  Trying to use standard Grub-X will not work because the active ingredient is designed for small grubs, not big boys like you see in May in NH or VT.

Another option is not to treat at all and wait until summer to apply a preventative treatment which not only means the ability to use less aggressive products, but in lesser amounts with incredible control percentages approaching 95-99% in total effectiveness.  Preventative products are usually required in fewer amounts, are much more effective, and are more environmentally friendly as a result.  Grubs and other insects are vulnerable in a smaller state or size.  Therefore, it only makes sense that less product and/or active ingredient is required when being proactive versus reactive.

For anyone experiencing grub infestations, look for annual grub control in the June-September time frame for maximum results.  The cost of not addressing grub issues in your lawn can mean expensive renovations, especially if you have an open, sunny lawn or a prior history of grub problems.  Rose chafers, European chafers, and Japanese beetles all pose a serious threat to your lawn and garden as well as your tree and ornamental shrubs.

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Lawn pests include grubs in NH & VT

Published by mrgrass2 on April 19th, 2011 - in Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects

The Japanese beetle will not only eat foliage, the grubs will eat your lawn!

There are about eight major types of grubs in NH and VT that cause turf damage, ranging from the classic Japanese beetle to a masked chafer.  Grubs will cause lawn damage plus the adults will devour ornamental shrubs and trees in your landscape.  The potential loss of your investment makes controlling the young and adult stage of these beetles a sensible decision.  Luckily, there are organic and new products available to help control these villains plus many others!

As always, the best defense is a good offense.  Healthy turf can withstand root pruning and even minor damage without a pesticide being applied – even an organic one.  Proper cultural practices, such as proper irrigation and a high 3” mowing height, also help keep your lawn cooler and less desirable to adult beetles.  Overseeding with resistant turf varieties makes the grass taste less desirable, not necessarily to grubs but to their buddies above ground like chinch bugs, sod webworm and such.

New and old research shows that compost tea actually helps grass develop its own immune response to reduce damage from both insect and disease activity. Although not an easy turf treatment, beneficial nematodes provide 100% organic control in the spring or fall.  Milky spore disease was developed a long time ago to control only Japanese beetle grubs, not the other seven.  Unfortunately, the spores take years to develop due to the cold New England winters.  As a result, Milky spore is not recommended by professionals as it simply does not work in NH or VT.

New organic pesticides that are ORMI certified contain capcaisin, the active ingredient in hot peppers. To obtain good results, and because the organic treatments are short-lived, multiple visits are required in the spring and fall to obtain predictable results.  Even organic pesticides require extensive licensing and certification in both NH and VT.  If you are considering “professional help,” be sure to ask for the company’s NHPC number in NH or license certification in VT before having any treatment done on your property- organic or otherwise!  The potential damage inflicted by an application remains substantial, even if the material used is 100% organic, with improper rates, training, and equipment.  In today’s economy, everyone with a pickup truck claims he is an organic landscaper but doesn’t have the credentials, insurance, or education to back up the temporary lettering.

For those ‘do-it-yourself’ folks, be careful what you purchase and use this spring.  For instance, “Grubex” is another name for Acelypryn, a great new product for controlling grubs and other harmful insects.  Unfortunately, if used at the wrong time, your application will not work due to the size and life stage of the pest you may desire to eliminate.  This factor underscores the importance of proper training and state certification where turf technicians must learn not only insect but local disease pests.

While the bag you buy at your hardware store may be well labeled for grubs, you may not be applying it at the right time or stage of the pest.  Said another way, just because the bag says it controls pests X, Y, and Z does not mean you are going to control them due to the time of year.  This type of activity would be the definition of a waste of money, time, and chemical.  Without the proper information on the life cycle of the pest you seek to destroy or reduce, applying home products is like shooting in the dark.

In summary, there are lots of ways to help your lawn look great, with the best and least environmental impact being the cultural and day to day upkeep of the turf.  Integrating resistant grasses during lawn overseeding/establishment and implementing organic or natural bacterial and friendly fungi are super tools with no harmful side effects.  In my opinion, pesticides should only be used as a last resort or when there may be a history of continual damage on a scale that would outweigh the omission of such products.  In other words, a $400 treatment outweighs a $5,000 renovation!

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White grub suppression in your lawn

Published by mrgrass2 on December 6th, 2010 - in Cultural Practices, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects

White grubs, a lawn problem

 

I say white grub population control because most folks will reach for the rifle the instant they see 1 or 2.  The fact remains that many more grubs should be visible before conducting warfare (9-12/sqft).  There are about 8 major types of grubs in NH/VT that cause turf damage ranging from the classic Japanese beetle to a masked chafer.

As always, the best defense is a good offense.  Healthy turf can withstand root pruning and even minor damage without a pesticide being applied.  Proper cultural practices also help keep your lawn cooler and less desirable to adult beetles like irrigation and a high mowing height.  Overseeding with resistant turf varieties can also help the turf taste less desirable, not necessarily for grubs but their buddies above ground like chinch bugs, sod webworm and such.

New and old research shows us that some compost tea/seed inoculation treatments actually help grass develop its own immune response to reduce damage from both insect and disease activity.  Beneficial nematodes, although not any easy turf treatment; provides 100% organic control by using these microscopic predatory worms in the spring or fall.  Milky spore disease was developed a long time ago to control only Japanese beetle grubs, not the other 7.  Unfortunately, the spores take years to spread/develop and the cold New England winters don’t allow for this disease to function well at all.  

There are new oil blend pesticides which are also organic or natural in composition which show promising results to white grub population control in a lawn setting.  The more traditional pesticides function in a variety of ways and vary in results.  Utilizing newer products over older ones are important to help reduce chemical resistance over time.  When using any pesticide, whether organic or synthetic- it is always important to read the label and use the product at the recommended rates as good environmental stewards.  Using the wrong product for the wrong pest is not only a massive waste of time; it’s a waste of money and most likely will harm beneficial insects.

In summary, there are lots of ways to help your lawn look great, with the best and least environmental impact being the cultural and day-to-day upkeep of the turf.  Integrating resistant grasses during lawn overseeding/establishment and implementing organic or natural bacterial and friendly fungi are super tools with no harmful side effects.  In my opinion, pesticides should only be used as a last resort or when there may be a history of continual damage in a scale that would outweigh the omission of such products.  In other words, a $400 treatment outweighs a $25,000 renovation for sure!

Control measures come back to each of our own expectations and threshold level of acceptable damage.  Are you willing to accept a little damage and forego pesticides or are you more inclined to try some organic options?  Planning now allows you to look at all available control measures since many have a narrow window of application and good results.

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Crabgrass in your lawn

Published by mrgrass2 on July 21st, 2010 - in Crabgrass, Lawn Care Companies, Misc.

There are many factors which yield a high crabgrass population in any given lawn area.  Last season, we had one of the wettest seasons in nearly a decade while this year we are in one of the hottest in nearly a decade.  The two extremes are just that- extreme and there are ramifications to a lawn.  To understand what happens in a lawn setting we must look at the weather, turf density, mowing height, and treatments.  Hot and especially dry weather will cause dormant crabgrass seed to germinate- typically in bare areas first (along roads, walkways, driveways) followed by thin sections in the lawn.  Crabgrass loves high heat and low moisture.  Seeds can remain dormant for years until the right conditions arrive, and then they germinate.  Normal rain, proper fertilization, and cutting height can usually minimize crabgrass in primary lawn areas.  Grass that has been treated with high soluble fertilizers and is not as healthy will be more susceptible to crabgrass infiltration.  The best defense is still a thick lawn, a high cut, irrigation if possible, and slow release fertilizer among other applications.  Some years are above or below average in terms of rainfall and heat- key factors in crabgrass germination.

Crabgrass plant

One year of crabgrass does not undo a lawn.  A pre-emergent barrier can be applied in the spring, but even that will degrade by late July or early August.  Luckily, crabgrass knows when the remaining growing season is insufficient to complete its life cycle.  Said another way, crabgrass seeds will usually not germinate past mid July.  So what you see now is going to be it- the plants will just become larger.  Again, a pre-emergent barrier can be used to help suppress, not eliminate crabgrass in thin or weak areas.  Most of these products are simply dyes and are not harmful in terms of the environment.  A pre-emergent product can be applied this fall (often overlooked) or next spring if you belive crabgrass has gotten a firm foothold in your lawn.  There is a trade off between putting down a barrier and seeding- so give this treatment careful consideration.  When desirable turf becomes stressed by high heat and drought, it provides an ideal growing environment for crabgrass by heating up the soil.  Lack of moisture further stresses desirable turf and enhances the ability of crabgrass to grow at exponential rates- real fast.

Mowing at 3”, mulching clippings, watering (1” per week), and a solid lawn health care program are all great defensive measures.  Adding a pre-emergent in the spring is another tool to help inhibit crabgrass but not eliminate it.  In a normal year, things would be in check and balance like in nature.  However, in extreme heat and drought- nature will win the battle and aesthetics will suffer- regardless of the plans in place.

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High Heat and Brown Grass

Published by mrgrass2 on July 9th, 2010 - in Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects

High heat and a lack off rainfall is double trouble when it comes to your cool season lawn- whether in NH or VT.  Brown grass results within days if not weeks after prolonged heat and an absence of rainfall.  What is a homeowner to do?

At this time of year, most action would be preventative such as proper cutting height (3”), lime, slow release fertilizer, mulched clippings to enhance organic matter, not mowing during the heat of the day, and having over seeded with a drought tolerant turf.  In terms of no rainfall, unless you have an irrigation system setup properly or a very shaded lot- browning is as inevitable as bacon in skillet on Sunday morning.  Hmm, you can just hear the sizzle and smell the lawn drying out to a golden brown!

On a serious note, its not the browning of your lawn that is a huge thing, but what might eat it while brown.  You would never know of an attack because green turning to brown might get your attention while outside.  What about brown staying brown?  Nothing can indicate a problem- no color change.  Now is the time to monitor for chinch bug, grub, or sod webworm activity either yourself or by hiring a professional licensed lawn care company. 

In terms of watering, anything is helpful- but don’t expect that magical green you would see in the spring or fall.  Providing an inch or more of water may not even be allowed if there is a ban like many towns are now experiencing here in NH.  Since most grass needs about an inch per week, anything else helps to keep the dormant turf alive as it remains in a hibernation state.  High heat will brown out and cause all kinds of blotches and spots in a treated or non-treated lawn setting- it is plain just too hot for cool season grass when the mercury rises above 85 to 90.  High heat can cause white blotches on the leaf blade to creating drought stress as dull blue or purple sections.  Further stress results in a tan or light brown lawn as the plant shuts down to preserve itself.  Remember, grass blades are 99% water, so no water- no grass to grow!

 Now is not the time to apply liquid fertilizer or herbicides- the result can be a disaster resulting in what I call “corner to corner grey or brown turf”.  A trained eye can spot this kind of chemical induced stress.  High soluble fertilizers place undue stress on a lawn already on the edge.  Mowing during the heat of the day is like lying on your driveway at noon- hot and unpleasant.  Any remaining moisture is quickly lost through the fresh cuts as the lawn literally wilts in hours- sometimes causing massive browning.  Stressed turf is highly susceptible to mower tracks from the weight of a tractor.  This is also true of lawn care companies that use perma-greens and other powered equipment to apply fertilizer, lime, or herbicides- the pure weight causes tire tracks and the resulting brown lines!  A light touch using smaller spreaders helps to minimize this issue.

In short, high summer heat is not customary in NH or VT, but when it does occur- be sure to watch out for insect damage, water if you can- what you can, don’t mow if you don’t have to- especially during 11am to 3pm, and cut high 3” to 3.5”.  Don’t feel obligated to mow when not mowing is really the best course of action.

Take a vacation and have some fun- but make sure you take care of your investment!

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Lawn care companies & Japanese Beetles, Grub Control, plus Milky Spore

Published by mrgrass2 on June 8th, 2010 - in Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects

There are many kinds of bugs that can damage or even destroy parts of your lawn such as the grub of the Japanese beetle.  While they may be out of sight underground, their appetites for turf roots cannot be easily satisfied.  As a result, browning usually occurs all the way to large areas of dead grass in the spring or fall.  How can you save your lawn?  Can this evil beetle and its associates be stopped?  Take a deep breath as we take a closer look at this villain and his underground buddies.

Exposed White Grubs

To begin with, you must start with the environment.  Grubs live underground therefore they are considered a subsurface insect pest, as opposed to a surface one- such as a chinch bug or perhaps cutworms.  This is important because what method and material you may use to target the grubs underground is vital.  So let us move onto timing.  When can you kill them?  Well, there is curative- you have grubs and they need to die now or preventative-  you may have them or are likely to in the future so you treat ahead of time as insurance.

Before you treat anything, ask yourself a question.  Do you really need to do this?  Many lawns will tolerate minor grub infestations and do just well.  Just because you found a few in your mulch beds or garden while digging does not make for an alien invasion or epidemic!  An average lawn will tolerate grub feeding and not all grubs eat turf.  So, before you pull out the tank and flame thrower, ask for some professional advice or at least consider the multitude of choices available.

Grub control products have progressed a great deal in the last few decades in terms of effectiveness, amount of active ingredient required, ease of application, and environmental impact.  Before I proceed forget about Milky Spore, it does not work in New England and should be outlawed.  Most registrations have elapsed or are revoked which is why there is only a few on the market even though there should be NONE.  There is not a shred of scientific evidence or proof that one grub can be killed by this magical elixir in NH or VT.  While I normally do not take such a harsh stand on a topic, I simply cannot stand on the side line while people throw their hard-earned money.  Both Universities in NH & VT agree with this statement since it is at their training seminars that Milky Spore is akin to curing all of your aches and pains with just one teaspoon of “Uncle Jacks wonder tonic”.  Let us move onto more productive conversation.

There are a handful of different materials that will virtually decimate a grub population when used properly.  Many of these control products are only required in small amounts and last months because they are taken into the grass plant up through the root system.  As a result, these control products are very effective and pose a minimal risk to user and the environment.  One new product in particular does not even require a signal word (Danger/Warning/Caution) this is unheard of in the turf or agricultural industry.  Most of these products can be applied alone or blended with a fertilizer for improved results.  Some studies show that with proper irrigation, soil moisture, and fertilizer- a lawn is better protected due to the ability of the grub control material to be readily taken into the turf via the root system.

Most preventative control products can be applied from late May all the way into September in some cases.  The stage of the grub and the material chosen is imperative because not all will work at specific times or stages.  This would be like trying to stop an elephant with a broom, it just is not going to happen verses say a bulldozer- the tool being used and the timing is very important.

Nematodes are being bred and are being touted as a very effective organic if not biological control of not only Japanese but dozens of other beetle grubs.  I plan on using nematodes this year in my program and have done enough research to at least give them a try based upon my findings.  If stuff does not work, I just won’t use it- period.  Sorry, but clients do expect results.  There are lots of important things which must be done in terms of timing, watering, volume etc- but there is no denying these boys are chemical free!  I will report back in a later post the results and findings of how these treatments went later this summer.

Now is the time to research and have your lawn treated if you have had grub damage or problems in the past.  Remember, adult Japanese beetles are very difficult to control since they are strong flyers.  Good hunting.

The following link sums up the importance of timing and life cycles when selecting control products:

http://www.golfdom.com/turfgrass-maintenance/know-your-enemy?page_id=2

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