Nothing is more startling than discovering fat, white grub worms in the soil while preparing a bed for planting. While lawn grubs are common, a grub infestation is a cause for concern since these garden pests destroy grass roots and draw unwelcome wildlife to the area. Discover how to use Neem oil for grubs to eliminate the problem safely and naturally.
While it’s reasonably straightforward to get rid of aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats, and other insects, eliminating a lawn grub is slightly different since the worms spend their time hidden beneath the ground. It’s essential to use a grub worm treatment that targets the pests in the soil.
While your local hardware store carries an ample supply of grub killer products, many of them contain chemicals that may harm beneficial insects. Fortunately, there are alternatives for pest control, from diatomaceous earth and milky spore to beneficial nematodes.
Ways to Use Neem Oil to Control Grubs
Neem oil is one of our favorite grub control options, and it’s effective for preventing grub damage to the grass while keeping pollinating bugs safe. While there are numerous natural ways to repel grubs, Neem oil is top on our list.
Learn what Neem oil is, how it’s useful for removing lawn grubs, and ways to use it as a pest control treatment. Neem oil has a variety of uses in the yard. While you can use it for grubs and other unwanted critters, you can also use Neem oil for rust fungus and other plant diseases and problems.
Why Are Grubs a Nuisance?
Grubs don’t fly from plant to plant, devouring the leaves and flowers, so why are they a problem? Explore these bugs, where they come from, and why they are a nuisance in the yard.
You’ll find grubs just beneath the soil surface; they are white, slightly translucent, with a fat, worm-like appearance and a brown head. They are the larvae of the Japanese beetle and are usually smaller than an inch.
The grub worm devours grass and eventually matures into a beetle with a metallic-green body and copper-colored wing covers. If you find over five grub worms in a quarter square foot of lawn, you have an infestation.
What Is Neem Oil?
What is Neem oil, and does Neem oil kill grubs? This oil is a product of the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica). Find out how it works to eliminate all types of insects, including grubs.
The Neem tree is a native to the Indian subcontinent, and it produces seeds that contain a yellow to brown oil with a garlic smell and a bitter taste.
The plant’s Neem leaf and seed oil is non-toxic and has been used for centuries in everything from soap, oil, and wax preparations to intestinal worms, fever, and liver problems. In addition, Neem oil has insecticidal properties, preventing powdery mildew and deterring or killing harmful pests. Aphid or Japanese beetle control with neem oil is highly effective and easy to implement.
How to Use Neem Oil for Grubs
Neem oil is an excellent alternative to commercial pesticides, and it eliminates everything from aphids and mealybugs to thrips and beetles. Use it as a means of pest control for grubs and adult beetles.
While there are many ways to use Neem oil around the yard, there are two main uses for eliminating the white grub. The first is to prepare a soil drench, which helps the Neem oil act as a systemic pesticide, absorbing into roots and leaf blades. As the Japanese beetle grub eats the lawn, the Neem compound suppresses its appetite and inhibits growth.
Another way to use the oil is to make a bug spray to stop the adult beetle before it can lay eggs. The oil coats the beetle’s body, causing them to suffocate.
Using Neem Oil to Repel Grubs With a Spray
The simplest way to get rid of lawn grubs is to make an insect spray that eliminates the Japanese beetle before producing grubs. Discover how to use Neem oil to repel grubs and kill adult beetles.
To make this simple recipe for a homemade grub killer, mix the Neem oil, Castile soap, and essential oil in a container and pour it into a garden sprayer of water. While Neem oil works well alone, adding peppermint essential oil to the solution gives it more insect-repelling power. Neem oil also works well on cucumber beetles, aphids, and a variety of other pests.
Spray the Neem oil insecticide over the affected areas of your yard and apply it once weekly until there are no longer signs of grub and beetle activity.
Getting Rid of Grubs With Neem Oil Soil Drench
The best way to remedy an existing beetle and grub problem or to kill spider mites with Neem oil is to make a soil drench with Neem oil to repel grubs. The insecticide soaks into the dirt, inhibiting egg-laying, larvae growing, and grub feeding.
Mix the water, Neem oil, and soap in a container using two tablespoons of Neem oil and one teaspoon of liquid soap for every gallon of water. Pour the insecticide into a watering can and use it to water affected areas of your property.
Grub Control With Neem Oil
Since insects travel from yard to yard, seeking food sources and areas to lay eggs, it’s vital to use routine applications of grub control with Neem oil to keep the pests in check. Learn when and how often to apply the oil as a part of yard maintenance.
Grub Treatment Time
While you may feel that a spring treatment is ideal, grubs are no longer feeding and are too large during this time, making the insecticide less effective. Additionally, consistent spring rains tend to wash away the application.
The best time to treat the lawn for grubs is in late summer or early fall when the insect is small and close to the ground surface. It’s also one of the ways to use Neem oil for thrips and other pesky yard insects.
Ways to Prevent Grubs in the Yard
While performing grub control with Neem oil helps stop an infestation, there are other ways to keep these bugs out of the lawn. Here are a few preventative steps to keep your yard healthy and grub-free.
While the best way to prevent an infestation of lawn grubs is to treat the yard each year at the end of summer, it’s also helpful to keep Japanese beetles out of the area. This pest loves roses, beans, grapes, or raspberries.
If you grow any of these plants, consider treating them with insecticidal soap or covering them with row covers. In addition, grow Japanese beetle-resistant plants around the yard. Winterberry, begonia, lilac, lantana, hosta, ageratum, and dogwood are plants that deter this beetle, sending it to other feeding and breeding areas.
Curl grubs and lawn grubs are common pests, and it’s crucial to take immediate action to prevent them from destroying your property. Fortunately, nature provides Neem oil, an insecticide that eliminates harmful insects while keeping beneficial bugs safe.
Now that you understand how to use Neem oil for grubs in the lawn and garden, why not share our Neem oil grub control treatments with your friends and family on Pinterest and Facebook?