Spring is coming up fast. with all the rain we have had it will be busy and full of activity.
Grubs are not cute, they destroy your lawn and landscaped areas. Grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles, chafers, and June beetles. They feed upon roots, grass, and any other organic material available in the soil.
So how can you tell if you have grubs? Are you seeing random dead patches of grass? Do you have wildlife scratching or digging up the ground, birds, raccoons, or possums? They love these tasty treats, remember Pumba and Timon from the lion king. You can pull back the dead grass and see if you have grubs. If you do it's time to treat.
It's a little late to start thinking about weeds, but definetly not to late. Dandelions can be seen as a troublesome weed or revered for their medicinal properties. For most they are seen as a competitor for nutrients, water and space. Once the Dandelion had bloomed and gone to seed you are behind the 8 ball. The goal would be to catch these guys before they go to seed. Post emergent spraying is an effective way to help control weeds both selectively in turf locations or non-selective just to get rid of everything.
Snails, although now being used in beauty products are not highly thought of. Snails’ ancestors are one of the earliest known types of animals in the world. Still doesn't mean we want them around. Snails can cause quite a bit of damage, especially during the cool damp days of spring. New and growing plants have the greatest risk, they usually stay way from tough plants, with rigid leaves because they are to harder to eat.
So what does snail damage look like? They leave large ragged holes in tender leaves and flowers, often the leaves are completely gone. This can mimic other insect damage, so look for a mucous trail to confirm snail activity. Snails in particular can cause serious damage citrus trees.
So other than hand picking snails on daily basis, what to do? You can treat for these unwanted fossils with bait.