Question
I have a new house in KY - 2 1/2 years old.  Sod was laid down 2 years ago.  I have a very hard clay soil.  I had grubs the second year.  I treated with GrubEx and Sevin on year one.  And this year Grubs took over.  I treated in April with GrubEx, middle of June with Grubex ... and September with 24 hour Grub control from Bayer I believe.
My lawn can be lifted up and see white grubs all under the turf.  Its like my nice green lawn the first 2 years is gone.  It is now brown & dead looking.

On top of it, I had dollar ring spots all through my lawn on the sunny sides.  I aerated my lawn in July to help.  Then I went to Lowes to by a fungus remover of some sort.  This did not work.

Any ideas on solving my grubs for next year with or without chemicals?

I power seeded my lawn last weekend and watering it 2 - 3 times a day.  I also spread starter fertilizer after I power seeded the lawn.  I used KY blue grass and Rye Grass when I reseeded.

I'll try the organic methods but I know nothing about it.

Thanks.

Answer
First, take it easy with the watering.  You are asking for amajor Fungus attack with all that constant moisture.  New seed should be watered once a day AT MOST.  The key is to water it DEEP.  A light blanket of straw or burlap will keep enough moisture down to stimulate Seed growth.  This is a balancing act that needs diligence to work.  And you are clearly good at this.  You just need a little guidance.

Weedkillers, Grubkillers, Fungus Killers, etc., turn your turf upside down by assaulting the flora and fauna in your soil.  Chemical Grubkiller doesn't just kill Grubs - it's a pesticide that wipes out Ladybugs, Butterflies, Earthworms and all the bugs in between that work down at the bottom of the food chain.

But what's done is done.  The trouble is that you probably should give the Soil a rest period and give the chemicals a chance to leach out.  If it isn't nontoxic enough for YOU to eat, imagine what it will do to a Ladybug.

Let's talk about Grubs.

Grubs are an interesting problem.

The soil is TEEMING with Grub predators.  Your yard is a hostile environment for these pests.  Scientists who study them have found that Grubs do not seem to be of any consequence in Soil that has been left undisturbed over long periods -- older houses, for example, with established Lawns.  Or in fields or woods.

But when you have new construction, one of the first problems the homeowners find is TONS of Grubs.  Not just Japanese Beetle Grubs.  MANY Beetle species seek a cozy spot under Grass plots in Kentucky.  The world is a cruel place if you're a Grub, but if you've wiped out Grub predators in your Soil, they can live a long, happy life eating the roots of your Grass.

It is Autumn.  It is important that you take steps to keep this problem from repeating itself this next year.  See the websites for:

Buglogical:
http://www.buglogical.com/beneficialNematodes_control_soilDwellingPests/benefici...

Suburban Habitat, a California company:
http://www.suburbanhabitat.com/pd_beneficial-nematodes.php

and Gardens Alive!, a mail order specialist
http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=2344

These are just three retailers who specialize in Good Bugs that fight Bad Bugs.  There are Nematodes, Fungi and Bacteria that prey on Grubs in the most beautiful way.  You just have to avoid killing them with the wrong chemicals.

Nematodes are microscopic parasites that live off Beetle Larvae -- little C-shaped worms you probably noticed under your Grass, the size of a thumbnail.  Some Nematodes are carriers of Bacteria that infect Grubs, make them sick and die of disease.  Many control not only Beetles but a list of other pests -- Cockroaches, Fleas, and/or Termites for example.

Note that even HEALTHY Grass has a fair (and benign) population of Grubs.  Otherwise, what would Birds eat for Breakfast?  This is not a problem.  Grubs have their place in the world; it is only when there are too many of them that you have anything to be concerned about.

Nematodes and other 'Benefiicals' are completely harmless to humans and other mammals, fish and birds.  Unlike Grub-X and other 'Grub Killers' that inflict painful collateral damage all around your house.

At my house, Beetles zero in on Roses, Hollyhocks and Strawberry leaves.  But they start in the soil.

Milky Spore Disease has been a popular treatment.  It may sound like a strain of Anthrax, but MSD is a simple dried bacteria just waiting to come out of hibernation and incorporate itself into the bodies of certain insect larvae.  Bacteria move from host to host in the soil under your Lawn, finding insects that dine on your Grass and flowers, leaving not a trace of toxin.  Which is better for your Birds, your Butterflies, and your Ladybugs.

For the next month, travel outside at night with a flashlight and knock Beetles you find into a bowl of soapy water, then discard.

I have read that traditional 'Japanese Beetle Traps' supposedly attract neighborhood Beetles and cause more trouble then they fix.  In all honesty, I have never found that to be the case.  And this may be all the attention this 'problem' needs.  Otherwise, Biological Warfare will eliminate the enemy before you ever see them.  They can run but they can't hide.

You are going to have to be patient to solve this problem, unfortunately.  I know you don't want to hear that, but some things just cannot be rushed.  You can, however, slow them down, or stop them completely, by doing the wrong thing.

The wrong thing?  That's a list I should probably put down for you.  Some of the items might surprise you.

The Wrong Thing:

1.  Chemical Fertilizer - any fertilizer with a number higher than 10 in the N-P-K analysis.  These are by definition SALTS that SLOW DOWN recovery of your Soil and are BAD for your Grass; they build up, and up, and up, and then things start dieing.  But even ONE application stings and shocks and assassinates microbes in your Soil, because they are EXTREMELY Salty.  Salt Kills.

2.  Drought.  Yes, it's good to let your Soil and Lawn dry out, because Fungus needs moisture to survive.  But too much drought will wipe out Nematodes and other microbes that enrich your soil -- the little food factories that generate nutrients for the Grass roots.  Earthworms also suffer, and you need Earthworms to accelerate your soil's recovery.

3.  Fungicides, Pesticides, Herbicides -- you aren't surprised these are on the list, I'm sure.  They mess up the microbes.  That makes the Earthworms miserable.

I hope this is not too much in one dose.  I tried to be clear, but thorough.  It's a lot to cover.  Your thoughts invited.

Thanks for writing.