Lawns - Knowledgebase Question

Broomfield, CO
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Question by JacalynS
May 28, 2007
Actually two questions about my lawn: Is June too late to plant grass seed to fill in some spots in my lawn? also I have seen some odd looking worms (like slugs) in my grass what can I use to get rid of them?


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Answer from NGA
May 28, 2007
You can reseed now, as long as you keep the areas well watered. I can't tell from your description what the critters might be. If they are exposed, birds will likely get them. They may be grubs (beetle larvae). If you have grubs in your lawn, the population needs to be high before you'll notice damage. How many grubs are too many? Research has shown that only 20 percent of home lawns and golf course fairways require treatment. Here?s a guide to treatment thresholds for European chafers, Japanese beetles, and Oriental beetles, the most common grubs in home lawns. Numbers are based on grubs/sq.ft.

0-5 grubs: rest easy
Fewer than five grubs per square foot is a low population. You don?t need to treat.

6-9 grubs: think about your lawn
Is your grass dense, with a healthy, robust root system? If so, it can probably withstand grub populations of 6-8 per square foot, or more. On the other hand, if animals such as skunks, raccoons, birds, and moles are digging up the turf to feed on the grubs and this bothers you, consider treating highly populated areas.

10 or more: they may cause damage
Ten or more grubs per square foot will likely cause damage, especially if the lawn is otherwise stressed. In most circumstances, you?d be justified treating where populations are this high. Several weeks after treating, sample in a few locations to determine whether treatments were effective.

You might be tempted to treat grubs in the spring, when you see last fall?s damage?but most spring treatments are a waste of time and money. The grubs have already damaged your lawn and are fairly resistant to insecticides at this time. Furthermore, even if you could eradicate them, summer will bring a new batch of beetles to your lawn.


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