Listed below are trade names and common chemical names of insecticides available to homeowners for controlling white grubs in lawns.
Preventative Control Products
Due to the development of new and improved insecticide chemistries, season-long residual or “preventive” controls of white grubs are now available, and are becoming the preferred management strategy. Preventative control strategies require insecticide application prior to egg lay or hatch. Timing varies depending on grub species: May/June beetle; late-May – early-June, and Japanese beetle; late-June – late-July.
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Preventative Control Products |
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Trade Name |
Company |
Common |
Overall Toxicity |
Application Timing |
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Season-Long Grub Control |
Bayer Advanced Lawn |
Imidacloprid |
Low |
Late-May – Late July |
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GrubEx |
Scotts |
halofenozide |
Low |
Late-May – Late July |
Curative Control Products
The curative control approach entails applying a control product when grubs are present, active, and causing measurable damage. Insecticides should be applied when grubs are feeding in the root zone. However, greater control can be attained if the insecticide is applied to smaller or younger grubs – usually in July for May/June beetles, or August for Japanese beetles.
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Curative Control Products |
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Trade Name |
Company |
Common Chemical Name |
Overall Toxicity |
Application Timing |
|
24 Hour Grub Killer |
Bayer |
trichlorfon |
Low |
Mid-May – Early October |
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Sevin |
Numerous |
carbaryl |
Low |
Mid-May – Early October |
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Diazinon |
Numerous |
diazinon |
High |
No longer recommended. |
|
Dursban |
Numerous |
chlorpyrifos |
High |
No longer recommended |
Remember that grubs feed in the root zone. Thus the control product must reach them in order to be effective. Therefore, regardless of insecticide brand or formulation, you must water the insecticide into the root zone to achieve maximum effectiveness. Apply at least 1∕2 inch of irrigation or rainfall on sandy soils, and up to 3∕4 inch on heavier clay soils. Apply water within 24 hours after application to get the most benefit from insecticides. For spray formulations, wash spray off grass plants and into the soil before the spray dries. Liquid formulations of some products have shown greater efficiency.
For more information on May/June beetles and Japanese beetles: See UW-Extension bulletins A3275 and A3714, and UW-Extension Garden Facts X1062, or contact your county Extension agent.
© 2001 the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System doing business as University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
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References to pesticide products in this publication are for your convenience and are not an endorsement or criticism of one product over similar products. You are responsible for using pesticides according to the manufacturer’s current label directions. Follow directions exactly to protect the environment and people from pesticide exposure. Failure to do so violates the law.
A complete inventory of UW Plant Disease Facts is available at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic website: https://pddc.wisc.edu.