Annual White Grub
Homeowner Control Options

Professionals have had a variety of effective insecticides to control white grubs for several years. Recently, some of these insecticides have become available to the general public and are being sold in garden centers and other retail outlets.

Trichlorfon (Dylox) has been available for a number of years. It is a very effective insecticide against grubs but is short-lived. Grubs need to be present when this insecticide is applied; however, it kills grubs quickly. This makes it especially useful for rescue situations where damage is occurring and one needs to know within a few days whether control has been achieved.

Imidicloprid (Merit, Grubex) is new to the homeowner market this year. It is very long-lasting and can be applied in the spring to get grub control in August. It takes 3 weeks to kill grubs in many situations. It should be applied in July once it is determined that numbers of adults are high enough and that soil moisture is low enough to get heavy egg laying in irrigated turf.

Bendiocarb (Turcam, Intercept) is also new to the homeowner market this year. It is long-lasting and effective, with control lasting at least a month. It also provides control soon after application.

Isofenphos (Oftanol), and carbaryl (Sevin) are also labeled for homeowner white grub control. Isofenphos can be very short-lived in some soils, commonly breaking down in 2 weeks and in less than a week in some situations. Control provided by carbaryl and chlorpyrifos tends to be inconsistent, providing control in some situations and not others. Many homeowners use these insecticides and experience excellent control.

With all homeowner-applied products, it is recommended that granular formulations be applied and then irrigated in through the thatch to the root zone with at least 1/2 inch of water. Those with in-ground irrigation systems can use liquids as well as granulars as long as the insecticide is not allowed to dry on the grass blades before irrigation occurs.

Late Summer 1996
Cover Crops | Tomato Problems | Annual White Grub Homeowner Control Options | Phalaenopsis: "No Better Orchid for Beginners" | Bug Bites | Lawn Care Calendar | To A Violet | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | OTC Hearburn Drug | Food Safety Checklist |Healthy Cooking: Cabbage | Nutrition Facts: Meal Planning 101 (Part 3 of 3) | Health and Household Tips | Did You Know?

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