Lawn Insect & Grub Control Services: An Enhancement to Your Lawn Care Program

Grubs and damaging insects can undermine even the healthiest of landscapes. (As if they weren’t enough of a problem on their own, the presence of grubs in your soil can attract skunks, and other animals that will tear up your lawn looking to feed on them.)

If an infestation already exists on your lawn, SavATree’s lawn specialists will identify the pests present, and recommend the best treatment for that species. And to help head off a future infestation, they will also develop a comprehensive lawn care program that includes insect and/or grub management.

Step One: Proper Identification by Experts

There are a variety of insects and grubs that feed on the roots and blades of grass, sometimes producing results that look very similar to lawn diseases. And as with diseases, the symptoms can be difficult to diagnose unless you know what to look for – and our SavATree lawn specialists do. Their accurate diagnosis is a critical first step in creating an effective management plan. [Learn more about our Lawn Disease Treatment services.]

Effective, Timely, and Responsible Treatments

Your SavATree lawn specialist has extensive knowledge and experience treating common lawn insects and grubs. Your specialist will inspect your turf regularly in order to spot unwanted insect populations early. They will then recommend an effective insect management program that also addresses your personal preferences.

To optimize insect and grub management in your lawn throughout the year, your arborist may recommend a program that integrates curative treatments as well as preventive measures – all carefully timed to the seasonal life cycles of the pests.

When we select the technical materials used in our insect and grub control services, we consult the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) – a formula and data source created by The New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University. The EIQ shows us the environmental and health impacts of available products and ingredients. Armed with that information, we are able to make responsible choices in optimizing the health of your lawn.

Professional lawn care can help you achieve thick, healthy turf with vibrant color. SavATree’s lawn experts are ready to help, whether you need to treat your existing lawn for insects and grubs, have problems growing grass, or just want to learn more about SavATree service options. [Learn more about our Lawn Care Programs, our Weed Control services, and our Disease Treatment services.]

Here are a few of the most common and damaging lawn pests in our customer areas:

White Grubs

White Grubs are the larval form of various Scarab Beetles, such as Japanese Beetles and June “bugs.” They are the most widespread and destructive pests in the Northeastern United States. White Grubs feed on grass roots, which causes the infested patches of grass in the lawn to die. The grubs develop into adult beetles that crawl out of the soil to mate and lay eggs. The adult beetles then eat the leaves of grass and other lawn plants.

Chinch Bugs

Prevalent in the country, chinch bugs use their piercing mouths to suck sap from, and inject toxins into, the crowns and stems of grass. They attack a variety of grasses including Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescues, perennial ryegrass, bentgrass, and zoysia.

Tawny Mole Cricket

Species of the mole cricket – the tawny mole cricket, the southern mole cricket, and the northern mole cricket — are found mainly in the sandy coastal regions of the southern states. The most destructive to lawns is the tawny mole cricket, which feeds almost exclusively on turfgrass roots and shoots. The mole crickets also tunnel through the soil just beneath the grass, which causes additional damage to the turf.