"Sam" wrote in message
...
i was planting some sod and digging the other day when i found some grubs.
they were white curled up into a ball. I live in southern ontario canada.
is it too late to spray for grubs? a guy at work said you have to spray
them in april to get the first batch, and then spray in july to get second
batch?

Is it too late to spray them now? how long will a spray last for grubs?

SaM



I had a lawn care business in southern Ontario for 11 years and I can tell
you that grubs are a complicated subject and made worse by our largest lawn
care company who treats them at their convenience and not when they should
be treated.

Grubs are the larvae stage of the June bug. In our area most are the
European Schaefer (sp?). They live as a grub for 3 years, then pupate into
June Bugs in late June/ early July. They fly, mate and then the females drop
eggs onto the lawn which hatch in the late summer and so the cycle
continues.

When treating an existing problem you should treat w/ diazinon or sevin and
only when they are feeding which is right about now through until late
September/October. A good kill rate for an existing grub problem, when using
the product according to it's label is about 50%, so you should count on a
few applications. Spraying in the rain is by far the best way to apply.

The best way to prevent a grub problem is w/ an application ( one only/
year ) of Merit in late June until the end of July. In Ontario, last time I
checked, Merit was only available to commercial operators, which seems a bit
crazy 'cause it's the safest insecticide on the market. I have found that
the success rate of Merit is almost 100%, but only as a preventative.

NB. Just 'cause you found a few grubs doesn't mean you have an infestation.
Your lawn can handle a minor grub problem. The real enemy is the raccoons
and skunks that come and dig up your lawn in the spring and fall looking for
the grubs. I have seen them turn a fine looking lawn into a plowed field
over night.

The only other tip I have for you is never use a lawn care company in Canada
that starts w/ the letter W. They will lie to you constantly.

Peter H