Grubs never lose

Hello Janet & Steven,

We've used grub killer on our lawn faithfully but we still have grubs. Suggestions?

- D.K. -

Dear D.K.,

There is no way to eradicate grubs or the beetles they become. The current score might be stated:

Grubs: 300,000, Humans: 1.

There is a beetle for every ecological niche, a total of hundreds of thousands of beetle species to our one. 80% of all animal species are beetles.

You shouldn't even want to kill all grubs/beetles. There are a lot of beneficial beetles in a  garden, and many "higher" life forms that rely on them.

View grub control measures as steps meant to keep grub numbers within a range that is manageable for a lawn. This is true whether you choose chemical controls or something from the other end of the pest management spectrum, such as the cultural control of watering more heavily to improve the lawn's ability to tolerate grub damage.

For the longest-lasting fix, beef up the health of the lawn rather than focus on grub killing. Vigorously growing grass simply tosses its head and laughs when grubs tickle its roots.