White Grubs and Other Insects in Lawn Turf: Don’t Rush the Application
Now is the time to plan your preventative white grub programs to maximize control. Here’s how:
- Timing is everything – regardless of what insecticide you use, best practice is to start applications for grubs when you see the first adult beetles in flight (usually early-July to mid-August), since damaging larvae are observed 1-3 weeks in the future. Plus most damage comes from animals feeding on larger larvae later in summer or fall, so it makes the most sense to apply when adults are present to insure control well into the fall
- A game-changing grub control solution from Envu – Tetrino® is an insecticide that provided excellent control of all white grub species in research trials and real-world use the last two seasons. Tetrino also shows excellent extended activity against other important pests including billbugs, chinch bugs, and caterpillars like sod webworm, cutworms and fall armyworms
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Apply the right rate
- A full rate of Tetrino (32 oz/acre) is recommended to ensure season-long grub control. This can be applied as a single application during peak adult flight (mid-June through mid-August), or as a split application (16 oz/acre + 16 oz/acre) in late spring and again in mid-late summer to target a wider range of pests throughout the season. Tetrino will provide 6 to 8 weeks of residual caterpillar control depending on rate
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With imidacloprid, it is critical the full label rate (0.4 lbs ai/A per year) is applied regardless of formulation. Be careful with some combination Merit/fertilizer products because their high label rate equates to less than 0.4 lbs ai/A. Here are the proper rates:
- Merit 75WSP = 5 x 1.6 oz packet/A per year
- Merit 0.5 G = 80 lbs/A per year
- Merit 2F = 1.6 pt/A per year
- 0.2% Merit on Fert = 200 lbs/A per year
- Other insects problematic? – Tetrino's flexibility allows for multiple applications at a variety of rates depending on the insects that are most important:
Timing and rate of Tetrino based on primary insect pests, exact timing depends on local conditions
Timing | White grubs | Billbugs + white grubs (+ spring caterpillars or black turfgrass Aetaneuis [BTA) | ABW + white grubs (+ spring and fall caterpillars or BTA) |
May | 16 fl oz/A | 32 fl oz/A | |
June | |||
July | 32 fl oz/A | 16 fl oz/A | 32 fl oz/A |
Aug |
- Need more info - Read and follow the label recommendations and contact your Envu area sales manager if you need assistance
Lawn solution sheet - billbug - warm season | |
Lawn solution sheet - white grub - warm season | |
Golf solution sheet - billbug - cool season |
White grub control is largely weather dependent, so optimizing management strategy is critical (Envu)