Beautiful lawn turned ugly

Well, my lawn starts to discolour and dry patches are now so obvious. And last night, I crushed a slimy creature in my garden. The next day, I got up early to check what that was, then I found out that a lot of grubs are infesting my lawn. What causes all these? The discolouration, dry patches, and swarming insects? Are there any practical ways to solve such icky problem? I wish not to resort to harsh chemicals because it can also destroy my lawn.

Thanks for all the future help!

Grubs can be a huge problem in some lawns. I feel your pain.

In North America, we have a big problem with Japanese Beetles. These pesky creatures can destroy lawns and leave large patches of brown, seemingly dead grass.

The best way to treat actual lawn grubs is to kill them with an application of a grub killer like "Bayer Grub Control". One application of this is usually enough to kill the grubs without having to worry about putting a lot of insecticides on your lawn. If you can catch the Beetles BEFORE they lay and put grubs in your lawn, you can use Beetle Traps. These work great for Japanese Beetles, and some other varieties;



I'm no expert on Australian Beetle Varieties, but I imagine that your grub control is not much different from North America.

-Good Luck!

You need to know when is the best time to use the control product. then you can treat the grubs.

bt3 said:

Grubs can be a huge problem in some lawns. I feel your pain.

In North America, we have a big problem with Japanese Beetles. These pesky creatures can destroy lawns and leave large patches of brown, seemingly dead grass.

The best way to treat actual lawn grubs is to kill them with an application of a grub killer like "Bayer Grub Control". One application of this is usually enough to kill the grubs without having to worry about putting a lot of insecticides on your lawn. If you can catch the Beetles BEFORE they lay and put grubs in your lawn, you can use Beetle Traps. These work great for Japanese Beetles, and some other varieties;

View attachment 24649

I'm no expert on Australian Beetle Varieties, but I imagine that your grub control is not much different from North America.

-Good Luck!

Click to expand...

I know this post is about grubs in Australia, but I can't help but bring to light a few facts about Japanese beetle traps.

1. They will collect beetles, but they also draw beetles to your property.

2. They will not collect all of the beetles that come onto your property alone, so other measures still need to be taken to help prevent them from destroying flowering plants. This can be accomplished by either using an insecticide, or spraying the beetles with dish soap and water. (Believe it or not soap and water will kill them)

3. many people make the common mistake of putting the traps near their flowering plants thinking the traps will draw all of the beetles away from the flowers. This is absolutely the wrong thing to do. If anyone is considering using the traps only put them on the perimeter of your property. This will help draw beetles inside your property away from plants, and beetles outside of your property to the traps instead of to the plants. As I mentioned earlier, this won't prevent all of them from getting to the plants, so be prepared to use other measures as well.

4. When disposing of the beetles that have been trapped first dump them in a bucket of soap and water and make sure they are all dead. (Japanese beetles bore into the ground to reproduce. If they aren't dead before they are dumped out the infestation will worsen.) finally, once you are sure they are dead you can dispose of them anywhere. Some claim the odor of decaying beetles will prevent live beetles from entering the area, but I don't like the smell either, so I dump the dead beetles in the ditch on the farthest edge of my property.

I know this post is slightly off topic, but if the beetles in Australia are similar to what we have to tend with here in the states the methods mentioned above will help. I had a huge infestation of Japanese beetles this year. Their favorite foods seem to be rose of Sharon, crepe myrtles, and roses. I have all of those on my property. And caught enough beetles to fill a 25 gallon drum.

Shughes717 said:

........ I had a huge infestation of Japanese beetles this year. Their favorite foods seem to be rose of Sharon, crepe myrtles, and roses. I have all of those on my property. And caught enough beetles to fill a 25 gallon drum.

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Japanese Beetles are a genuine PITA for a flower gardener and a lawn aficionado. I had a huge Rose garden with over 50 Hybrid Tea Roses when I lived in Upstate NY and cold have also filled a 25 gallon drum with what I caught in my traps, set far away from the roses.

I did some research and it seems that Australia also suffers from these Japanese Beetles.

OP:

Let us know what the infestation is. I am hedging it is Japanese Beetles you are infested with.

Thanks.

BT

bt3 said:

Japanese Beetles are a genuine PITA for a flower gardener and a lawn aficionado. I had a huge Rose garden with over 50 Hybrid Tea Roses when I lived in Upstate NY and cold have also filled a 25 gallon drum with what I caught in my traps, set far away from the roses.

I did some research and it seems that Australia also suffers from these Japanese Beetles.

OP:

Let us know what the infestation is. I am hedging it is Japanese Beetles you are infested with.

Thanks.

BT

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I guess Japanese beetles are the bane of a gardner's existence everywhere in the world. I am from an agriculture family, so I supplemented my pest control efforts by using a pyrethroid insecticide. I had to use it about once every 10 days. I realize most people either don't have access to such chemicals, or don't want to use insecticides. Dish soap and water will work, but plants will have to be checked daily and sprayed as soon as the first beetles are discovered. I don't know how these pests were introduced to the U.S. But if there is someone responsible they should be flogged. Lol

Shughes717 said:

I guess Japanese beetles are the bane of a gardner's existence everywhere in the world. I am from an agriculture family, so I supplemented my pest control efforts by using a pyrethroid insecticide. I had to use it about once every 10 days. I realize most people either don't have access to such chemicals, or don't want to use insecticides. Dish soap and water will work, but plants will have to be checked daily and sprayed as soon as the first beetles are discovered. I don't know how these pests were introduced to the U.S. But if there is someone responsible they should be flogged. Lol

Click to expand...

True enough. I feel the same way about the goofball that brought Dandelions over from Japan. What a pest of a weed! I heard that the guy that brought them to America thought they were so "Beautiful", that all of America would love them and want them in their yard. Yea, I love them all right.... I LOVE to kill them.

Back to Beetles;
As I stated, I had a HUGE Rose garden of Hybrid Tea Roses that the Beetles always tried to infest when I lived in Upstate NY. Like a moth to a flame.

Best defense was a Systemic from Ortho called "Orthenex". It was a Systemic Insecticide AND a Systemic Fungicide combined in one spray. Orthene and Funginex combined in one spay. I was available as a concentrate and as a canned aerosol product. I don't think this is still commercially available, and it's a shame as it was the best for any plants that you were NOT going to eat, i.e. all ornamentals. I had a problem with Bag Worms on my Arborvitae shrubs and two applications of Orthenex a week apart and they were healthy and vibrant for an entire season. Great stuff. A few treatments of that on my ornamentals and all pests were gone. If you could fine Orthene and Funginex you could combine them yourself.

However, I used liquid Sevin on my lawn for Japanese Beetles.

I'm not sure about Australian turf growing season. however in climate zone 6 in the US, I will treat for grubs in early march, as well as, per emergent herbicide, along with a slow release iron, 48-6-6. then 3-5 different treatments though the season normally ending late November. there is no answer that I know of that is a once and done. beautiful turf is high maintenance, I use engineered wet and granular products, but not opposed to organic but the cost is to much and would cost me customers in this very competitive business.

a home owner can generally buy the same thing a commercial company can, just go to you local home and garden center and read the labels. it may not as potent might cost a little more but you aren't buying in bulk like most commercial companies are.

grubs are easy enough to control they do create large almost circular areas of dead turf is a good indicator of grub damage.