If there are numerous dead patches in your yard, there’s a good chance that you could have a grub infestation. The ugly brown spots contain hundreds of grub worms that are enjoying chowing down on the grassroots of your beautiful lush lawn.
You can get rid of grub worms the natural way by dousing your yard with a homemade grub worm killer at the right time to bring your lawn back to all its splendid glory.
While it may be impossible to kill all of these lawn and garden pests, you can diminish their population by a good 75% with these home remedies.
Common Signs of Grub Worms in Your Garden
Grub worms are one of many common garden pests that can wreak havoc on your lawn and plants. Grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles. They typically range from ¾ – to 1 ½-inches and have gray or white bodies with brownish heads.
While healthy gardens can usually withstand small populations, as the number of grubs grows, the more pressing issues they will create. They can end up costing you a ton of money when they damage your plants.
Many of the commercial grub killer products on the market use harsh chemicals that can end up killing off the beneficial insects in your garden. Fortunately, there are several natural grub killer remedies that you can use to keep the grub problem under control.
How to Kill Grub Worms Naturally
Grub worms are baby beetles, that when left unchecked will start to feast on your plant roots when the eggs hatch in the late summer and early fall months. This is the best time to try these natural grub control methods before they can cause too much damage to your yard.
During this time the garden and lawn grubs are much smaller and a lot easier to kill and control. Here are the best eco-friendly ways for how to get rid of grubs from your garden.
Till the Soil
To reduce the number of grub worms in your vegetable garden over the winter by removing all the plant litter and organic matter in the early fall. Before the weather turns cold, till the soil to about seven inches deep, and then once again two weeks later to about two inches deep.
Then in the spring, about two weeks before you plant your new plants, once again till the soil to about two inches deep. When you frequently cultivate the land in your garden, it will destroy the adult beetles before they can lay eggs, and kill any grubs living in the soil. This is also helpful as a homemade mole killer.
Release Beneficial Nematodes
Beneficial nematodes, also known as heterorhabditis bacteriophora are microscopic roundworms that are naturally in the soil. You can fight a grub infestation by spraying your garden and dead patches of grass with the nematodes.
The bacteria that they carry will infect and eventually kill white grubs, without harming your plants and grass. You can purchase these beneficial nematodes in solid or liquid forms at your local home improvement or garden center.
Use Milky Spore
Milky spore is a spreadable bacteria known as Bacillus popilliae that can be used to kill white grubs. The best part of this pest control method is that it will only affect the grub worms and won’t bother any beneficial insects in your garden. You can either sprinkle the product on your lawn or spray it over your yard with a hose attachment.
Use Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth (DE), is a fine powder that contains the skeletal remains of diatoms. There are many uses for food grade diatomaceous earth around the house, including killing grub worms in the yard.
When insects contact the tiny particles of DE, the small pieces pierce through their wax-like coating, which ultimately causes the grubs and other insects to die of dehydration. Unfortunately, DE will also kill the beneficial insects in your garden so be sure to use it sparingly.
Use Dish Soap
A basic mixture of one tablespoon liquid dish soap and one quart of water is an excellent homemade grub worm killer and will keep grubs from making their way through your lawn. The soap in the mix will effectively smother the larvae, killing them before they can make a buffet of your yard. Use the spray immediately after mixing and spray it directly onto the grubs.
Use Garlic
Japanese beetle grubs and adults dislike the scent of garlic. You can place crushed garlic cloves around your garden or, for a one-two punch that will deter both adults and larvae, you can make a homemade grub spray with garlic.
Homemade Garlic Grub Killer Spray
This homemade grub killer spray uses chopped garlic and mineral oil to create a robust solution that will kill grubs and their larvae. This is a handy homemade spray to have around to deal with grubs before they destroy your yard.
In a small container, mix the chopped garlic and the mineral oil. Place the bowl in the freezer and allow to sit overnight. The following day, add one quart of warm water to the garlic mixture and one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Mix the solution well. Add the mixture to a spray bottle, and spray the affected area immediately.
Use Neem Oil
Neem oil has proven to be an extremely effective insecticide that blocks the hormones of the insects and keeps them from working correctly. The disruption in their hormones grubs to forget to eat, mate, and they will stop laying their beetle eggs in your garden. Using neem oil in the garden is a great way to kill grubs and other pesky insects.
Use Lemon Juice and Dish Soap
This homemade repellent can help to keep adult beetles away from your yard and keep them from laying the eggs that will soon hatch into the grubs. You probably already have the ingredients for this homemade grub repellent spray.
Homemade Grub Repellent Spray
Don’t let grubs destroy your plants, use this potent lemon juice spray to keep grubs from finding their way to your yard and laying their eggs. With just a few simple ingredients, you can eliminate a grub worm problem for good.
Place the ingredients in a spray bottle, replace the top, and shake to mix the ingredients. Spray the solution on your lawn and in your garden to keep beetle from finding their way into your yard and laying their eggs.
Many gardeners will use coffee grounds in their garden to give their garden an added boost of fertilizer but be warned; this can end up attracting more grubs to your garden. Grub worms love to eat coffee grounds and will quickly take over your lawn and garden. So if you already have signs of a grub problem, you might want to skip the coffee grounds until you have the problem under control.
The average lawn is around 8,000 square feet, which is a lot of food for pesky grubs. If you see signs of a grub infestation, it is essential to treat the problem before it gets out of control. Using these ten helpful tips and homemade recipes for grub worm repellents as a part of your lawn care routine will help keep your yard grub free.
Recipe for Homemade Grub Worm Killer
Homemade Grub Worm Killer
Completely natural and effective for grubworms.
Materials
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 4 cups warm water
- 1 tbsp dishwashing liquid
Tools
- Plastic container
- Strainer
- 48-ounce sprayer
- Tablespoon
- Measuring cup
Instructions
- Combine the oil and garlic in the container and put the mixture in the freezer overnight.
- Strain the garlic pieces from the oil.
- Mix the garlic-infused oil with water and dish soap in a spray bottle.
- Shake well to incorporate all ingredients.
- Spray grub worms.
Notes
You may find that this mixture works against a variety of unwelcome bugs.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the various tips and homemade grub killer recipes. If you found this information useful, please feel free to share these garden tips and recipes for killing grub worms with your family and friends.