Lawn grubs in Brisbane are no longer a little problem.

Lawn grubs, always prevalent in South East Queensland, have reached epidemic proportions. The blighters are everywhere. But fear not. If they’ve found a home in your lawn, and are starting to outstay their welcome, there are ways to get rid of them.

Are there lawn grubs at your place?

Lawn grubs infest Brisbane lawns year round, particularly in warm, wet weather, which makes the period between November to May a real danger time. But how do you know if lawn grubs are calling your green, green grass home? The first indicator is a patchy lawn – brown or bare patches on your lawn are tell-tale signs. Closer inspection of your lawn may reveal green or brown droppings, and white moths flying over the lawn as the sun goes down could also point to the presence of lawn grubs.

Further afield, there might be white egg sacs near your house, fences, and shrubs. These sacs are another sign that lawn grubs are about. For actual, concrete evidence, try the hessian test. Place some wet hessian on your lawn overnight and check it early next morning while it’s still cool. The hessian should draw the grubs to the surface and they’ll be easy to spot. This is a particularly effective test on new lawns. Or, you can flood a section of your lawn and watch as the grubs come to the surface.

Make your lawn less enticing to grubs

Lawn grubs are actually quite discerning. They prefer some grass types to others. Couch and Kikuyu lawns are more prone to grub infestation than Buffalo grasses, like Sir Walter Turf. If you’re investing in new turf, this is certainly something to keep in mind.

Be careful when you fertilise, particularly in January and February, lawn grubs will see this as an invitation to move in and make themselves at home. Lawns that require little in the way of fertiliser – again Sir Walter Buffalo grass comes to mind – will be much less appealing to grubs.

Getting rid of lawn grubs

If you have lawn grubs, you need to get rid of them. Lawn grubs in Brisbane are just bad news and will leave your lawn looking brown, barren and plain awful. They’ve got to go!

A low-tech way to get rid of lawn grubs involves an extension of the hessian test. Lay wet hessian upon the lawn overnight. In theory, the lawn grubs will attach themselves to the hessian, which you can then pick up and dispose of early the next morning.

If getting up early to get rid of lawn grubs is not your cup of tea, there are some excellent pest control products specially formulated to control lawn grubs, like Sir Walter Pest Control. Always follow the instructions as some treatments should be applied at certain times of the day, or need to be watered into the lawn.

There are more lawn grubs in Brisbane than ever. It really is an epidemic and there’s a chance your lawn is being eaten alive as you read this. So, now you’ve read about them, go and check for them. The evidence is easy to spot – and the treatment just as simple. By acting now, and following it up with regular checks and treatments, you’ll get rid of lawn grubs…and be left with nothing but beautiful lawn!