As temperatures rise and summer approaches, many homeowners focus on watering, mowing, and fertilizing their lawns. However, we’ve found that one of the most important summer lawn care treatments often goes unnoticed until damage has already occurred: grub prevention.

Applying a preventative grub treatment in late spring and early summer can help protect your lawn from significant root damage later in the season.

What Are Grubs?

Grubs are the larval stage of June beetles and other scarab beetles. While the adult beetles are mostly a nuisance, their larvae can cause serious damage beneath the soil surface.

During the summer months, grubs become aggressive feeders, consuming the roots of turfgrass. As root systems are damaged, grass struggles to absorb water and nutrients, leading to thinning, discoloration, and in severe cases, dead patches throughout the lawn.

Why Grub Damage Is A Problem

Grub damage often occurs during the hottest and driest part of the year, when lawns are already under stress from extreme temperatures.

Because grubs feed on the root system, affected grass loses its ability to efficiently absorb moisture. This can cause:

• Brown or thinning areas in the lawn
• Grass that pulls up easily like loose carpet
• Increased drought stress
• Weak root development
• Permanent turf loss in severe infestations

When root systems are damaged during summer, the lawn has less time to recover before cooler weather arrives. Areas affected by grub activity often enter fall and winter with weakened root systems, making them more vulnerable to cold weather injury and winter damage.

Why Preventative Grub Control Works Best

The most effective way to manage grubs is through preventative treatment before significant feeding begins.

Preventative grub control products target young larvae before they can cause extensive root damage. Once mature grubs are actively feeding and visible damage appears, treatment options become less effective and lawn recovery becomes more difficult.

For this reason, early summer is considered one of the most important times of the year for grub prevention.

Watering After Application Is Essential

After a grub preventative treatment is applied, it must be watered into the soil thoroughly.

Proper irrigation helps move the product into the root zone where developing grubs are located. Without adequate watering, the treatment may not provide the level of protection needed.

If your lawn receives a grub preventative application, be sure to follow all watering recommendations provided by your lawn care professional.

What Grub Preventative Treatments Do Not Control

A common misconception is that grub control products eliminate all underground pests.

Grub preventative applications are specifically designed to target grub populations and do not control:

• Moles
• Voles
• Earthworms

While moles may be attracted to lawns with active grub populations, reducing grubs does not necessarily eliminate mole activity.

Protect Your Lawn Before Damage Starts

A healthy lawn begins with a healthy root system. Preventing grub damage before it occurs is one of the best ways to maintain strong turf throughout the summer and reduce the risk of long-term lawn stress.

At Proscapes, we have begun our seasonal grub preventative applications and encourage homeowners to take action before feeding activity peaks.

If you have questions about grub prevention or would like to schedule a lawn evaluation, contact our team today. We’re here to help keep your lawn healthy, green, and protected all season long.