Q: I am a recent transplant to Georgia and discovered that my lawn has grubs. I know that up North you can spread grub control in May and it will kill them all through the summer.

Since it gets warmer down here faster, is it effective to put down grub control now?

A: You might not need to treat at all.

Unless you observe more than ten grubs per square foot, I don’t recommend treating for them. Nature will kill most of them for you. Use a flat shovel to peel back a one foot square section of turf, two inches thick, in the spot where you suspect grubs.

The best time to sample is in early May, on a warm day after a heavy rain. Sift through the soil and turfgrass roots and collect the grubs you find.

More than ten? Treat then with imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced Grub Control) or halofenozide (Mach 2, Grub B Gon or Grub Ex).

Just a few? Relax.

Otherwise you’re wasting your money and applying pesticides that won’t cure the real problem with your weak turf.

A well-maintained lawn will show no damage from a low to moderate population of grubs.