Severe grub damage in a lawn appears as large, irregular sections of brown turf that detach from the soil without effort. Unlike turf damaged by drought or excessive fertilizer, the turf peels away like a carpet being rolled up. For most of the year, however, grubs are out of sight and out of mind. They feed on grass roots in your lawn and are usually noticed only when dead and damaged areas appear. FIND YOUR PROBLEM AREAS You can prevent losses by locating high grub populations before they cause damage. When to sample Seek out grubs in early August on Long Island and in mid-August upstate. Sampling early in a grub’s life cycle means that you’ll catch grubs while they are small and less capable of seriously damaging your lawn. Early sampling, ("scouting)" while your lawn looks healthy increases your chances of being effective and decreases the possibility that skunks and other animals will tunnel your lawn, feeding on grubs.
