Question
I am trying to learn about the front lawn of our house.  I am a beginner to this.  This may sound like a stupid question, but do you know what the small little grayish white worms are under the grass?  Are they  beneficial  or are they bad like  grubs ?  I have never seen a grub so I don t know what to look for.  And do you know the course of action to take here.  I live in Zone 7A, according to White Flower Farm.

Answer
Grayish White Worms - Congratulations, it sounds like you have real grubs in your lawn.  Left to grow into insects, this larva will make dinner of your grass roots all spring and in the summer they will emerge, probably in the dead of night, from the soil and take off as Japanese Beetles, chomping holes in the leaves of all your roses first and moving on to other flora.  

I understand racoons and skunks like to make meals out of these insects.  They tear up your turf in the process of searching out dinner.  Organic, but unsightly.

Milky Spore Disease is an easy, cheap, highly effective way of zapping these little beasties.  The fungus spores live in the soil waiting for the gray larvae, then when one comes along the spores attack and the larvae dies.  No fuss, no muss.  

The trouble with Milky Spore is that it takes a year or two to get settled in your soil.  While you're waiting, contact Gardens Alive (www.gardensalive.com) for beneficial nematodes, a parasite that targets the worms you describe.

You can pick Milky Spore Disease up at Home Depot and many other garden supply stores.  Make sure you don't overheat the container or you will damage the spores.  Ditto, chilly storage.  This product will attack most soil-born larvae under your lawn.  That includes termites, army worms, web worms, ants and beetles.

Stay away from the Pesticides - they are poisonous and do plenty of long term damage to the people applying it and the people who live with it.  I am sure in 20 years they will be going out of business.