How Do I Know If My Lawn Has Grubs?

Grub damage often looks like drought at first — irregular brown or thinning patches — but the giveaway is that watering does not bring it back. Because grubs eat the roots, the turf loses its anchor. You may also notice the lawn feels spongy underfoot in affected areas.

Grab a handful of grass in a suspect patch and pull. A healthy lawn resists; a grub-damaged area lifts up like a loose piece of carpet because the roots have been severed. Peel it back and look at the top inch or two of soil.

Grubs are white, soft-bodied, and curled into a distinctive C shape. Finding a few is normal and not cause for alarm, but a high count concentrated in damaged areas points to grubs as the cause. Increased digging by skunks, raccoons, or birds is another strong clue — they are hunting the grubs.

If you confirm grubs, the response depends on timing and severity, and it differs from the preventive approach used earlier in the season. The best long-term protection is preventive control applied around mid-summer, before the next generation hatches.