Grubs and Worms

Here's this week's Turf Tip on insect control. Grubs and Web Sodworms are two problem insects in North Dakota. For more information, the University of Minnesota Extension office has an extensive page on Japanese Beetles which is what grubs become. Sod webworms get the "more-than-you-care-to-know" treatment on this NDSU page.

While grubs and sod webworms can be controlled effectively with insecticides, there is no chemical labeled to deal with another lawn pest, nightcrawlers. Steve's counterpart in Cass County, Ron Smith, says that an application of Sevin will knock down about thirty percent of the nightcrawler population in your lawn. Here's a link to a page that archives a number of questions he's gotten on nightcrawlers. One thing to remember about nightcrawlers; they are, in moderation, good for your grass as they provide natural aeration. If their hills get to be too much, you can knock them down with a power rake.