3 tips for preventing white grub infestations

White grubs, the larvae of scarab beetles, have the nasty habit of nibbling away at grass roots. If enough of them set up shop in your lawn, they’ll cause large sections of your grass to die. Here are three things you can do to get rid of white grubs, or at least reduce their numbers.

1. Don’t cut your grass too short
Scarab beetles prefer to lay their eggs in short grass. If you have a white grub problem, adjust your lawn mower so that it cuts no shorter than three inches. This will help guard against white grub infestations as well as prevent weeds from spreading and your lawn from yellowing.

2. Keep your grass healthy
A thick and robust lawn is more resistant to insects and disease. To strengthen your lawn’s root system, every spring remove excess thatch, aerate soil if it’s compact and reseed sparse areas.

3. Don’t use pesticides
In addition to being harmful to the environment, pesticides will rid the area of useful insects like ants, which eat scarab beetle eggs. Instead of pesticides, use natural pest removal and weed control techniques.

Follow these tips and with any luck, you’ll send your white grubs packing.