Question about grub worm control on my St. Augustine lawn

Garon · **Posted:** Mon Nov 08, 2010 3:14 pm

I have had a terrible problem with grub worms for three years now. Nothing I have done, including applying beneficial nematodes twice a year, seems to have had the desired effect.

I have been on the organic plan for 5 years (yearly compost, all organic fertilizers, thorough water once a week, etc.).

I do not want to use any synthetic insecticide and kill all my benefical microrganisms but I am losing the battle each year.

Does any one have any suggestions?

EAnton781 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:21 pm

Google: milky spore. Its a bacterium option.

Garon · **Posted:** Mon Nov 08, 2010 6:37 pm

Thank you for the information! I have never heard of Milky Spore or the bacteria option to grub control.

I am surprised my local organic gardening store has not mentioned it when inquiring about organic grub control.

charris55 · **Joined:** Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:52 am **Posts:** 56

Hi,

Have you actually seen the grubs? The reason I ask, we treated our SA for grubs only to find out it was brown patch.

Best regards,
Char Harris
Flower Mound, TX

Garon · **Posted:** Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:41 am

charris -

Oh yeah.... we can dig anywhere in the yard and will have about ~10 per sqaure foot. Big ugly suckers.

charris55 · **Joined:** Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:52 am **Posts:** 56

Garon wrote:

charris -

Oh yeah.... we can dig anywhere in the yard and will have about ~10 per sqaure foot. Big ugly suckers.

__________
And they are ugly! Good luck!

Dchall_San_Antonio · **Posted:** Fri Nov 19, 2010 5:19 pm

You might not remember when you applied the beneficial nematodes, but the soil needs to be very wet. If you spray them on dry soil the nematodes can't move around.

Garon · **Posted:** Fri Nov 19, 2010 10:19 pm

I don't believe the grass / soil was wet when I applied them each time, but they were watered in quite well within the hour (sprinkler system).

My plan for the early spring will be to rake the dead grass from the bare areas and probably resod the big empty patches. I'll continue the organic approach with a spring and summer nematode application and hopefully stop the cycle.

I found a photo of my youngest taken in the front yard (before the grubs hit and killed large patches). I remember when it was so thick and green.... :cry:

produce guy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:40 pm **Posts:** 196

You know a really quick way to get , rid of them is to conect a wire onto your sparkplug cover on your lawnmower and rap that wire to a srewdriver or a pice of metal and put it into the ground.Now crank that mower a few times and watch those little critters come up out of the ground.I saw this on a You tube video to hunt worms. :roll:

Garon · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:24 am

produce guy wrote:

You know a really quick way to get , rid of them is to conect a wire onto your sparkplug cover on your lawnmower and rap that wire to a srewdriver or a pice of metal and put it into the ground.Now crank that mower a few times and watch those little critters come up out of the ground.I saw this on a You tube video to hunt worms. :roll:

Reminds me of the people who throw explosives in the lake to kill / stun the fish and then scoop them up when they float to the top.

I'll stick with the nematodes. :lol:

Question about grub worm control on my St. Augustine lawn

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