Preventative grub suppression is applied in spring before grubs hatch and start feeding on roots. One application can protect your lawn through the entire season.
White grubs are one of the most damaging lawn pests in Davis County. They feed on grass roots below the surface, and by the time the damage is visible, the root system is already destroyed. Repairing grub damage often means reseeding or replacing sod in the affected areas. Our approach is prevention. We apply Acelepryn in spring, before grubs hatch, to stop the problem before it starts.
White grubs are the larval stage of several beetle species. In Davis County, the most common are masked chafer beetles and May/June beetles. Billbugs, which feed inside grass stems rather than on roots, are also widespread in Utah lawns. The adult beetles lay eggs in the soil during summer. Those eggs hatch into grubs that feed on grass roots through late summer and fall.
Grubs are white or cream-colored, C-shaped, and typically less than an inch long. They live one to three inches below the surface in the root zone. A healthy lawn can tolerate a few grubs per square foot without visible damage. But when populations reach five or more per square foot, the root system weakens faster than the grass can recover.
The real problem is what happens below the surface. Grubs chew through the roots that anchor your grass and deliver water and nutrients from the soil. Without those roots, the grass dies from the bottom up. The turf turns brown, feels spongy underfoot, and pulls up easily because nothing is holding it in place.
Davis County lawns face a specific vulnerability that most homeowners do not realize. Female beetles seek out moist, well-maintained turf in full sun to lay their eggs. A well-watered Kentucky bluegrass lawn in June is exactly what they are looking for.
Utah’s dry climate requires heavy irrigation to keep lawns alive through summer. That irrigation creates the soil moisture that egg-laying beetles need. Lawns that are watered regularly, mowed at a healthy height, and growing in full sun are the most attractive egg-laying sites. The healthier and more irrigated your lawn is, the more likely beetles are to choose it.
This is not a reason to stop watering. It is a reason to treat preventatively. You cannot avoid grubs by letting your lawn dry out. But you can stop them from establishing by putting down a preventative product before the eggs are laid.
We use Acelepryn (chlorantraniliprole) for grub suppression. Acelepryn is a professional-grade preventative product that targets grubs in the larval stage before they begin feeding on roots.
Why Acelepryn. Acelepryn is classified as a Reduced Risk Pesticide by the EPA. It has one of the lowest toxicity ratings of any grub control product on the market. It is safe for bees, birds, earthworms, and pets at labeled application rates. This matters because many older grub control products, particularly neonicotinoids like imidacloprid, are toxic to pollinators and face increasing restrictions. Acelepryn provides effective grub control without those risks.
How it works. Acelepryn is applied to the lawn surface and watered into the soil. Over the following weeks, the product moves through the soil profile into the root zone where grubs feed. When newly hatched grubs ingest treated root material, it disrupts their muscle function and they stop feeding. The product provides four to six months of residual activity from a single spring application.
What else it controls. The same Acelepryn application that targets grubs also controls sod webworm, armyworms, cutworms, and billbug larvae. This broad-spectrum coverage from one treatment is one of the reasons we chose Acelepryn over other products.
Flexibility. Acelepryn can be watered in after application, but it does not require immediate watering to be effective. Normal irrigation or rainfall within a few days is sufficient.
Timing is the most important factor in grub control. Preventative products work by being in the soil before grubs hatch. If you apply too late, the grubs are already feeding and a preventative product will not stop them.
In Davis County, the optimal window for Acelepryn application is mid-April through May. This is when soil temperatures are rising but before adult beetles emerge to lay eggs in late June and July. Acelepryn needs 60 to 90 days to fully move through the soil profile, so applying in April or May positions the product in the root zone by the time eggs hatch in late July and August.
If the spring window is missed, imidacloprid-based products can be applied through mid-June with a shorter lead time. However, these products carry pollinator toxicity concerns that Acelepryn does not.
After mid-July, preventative products are no longer effective for that season. If grub damage appears in August or September, the only remaining option is a post emergent curative treatment with a variety of different insecticides designed for that purpose. Curative treatments are a rescue measure, not a substitute for spring prevention.
Grub damage in Davis County often gets mistaken for drought stress. Both cause brown patches. The difference is how the turf responds when you test it.
The tug test. Grab a handful of brown grass and pull. If it comes up easily with no resistance, like lifting a piece of loose carpet, grubs have destroyed the roots underneath. Drought-stressed grass holds firm because the roots are still intact even though the blades are brown.
Spongy feel underfoot. Walk across the affected area. If the ground feels soft and spongy rather than firm, the root system below may have been eaten away. Healthy turf, even when brown from drought, feels solid underfoot.
Animals digging in your lawn. Skunks, raccoons, and birds all feed on grubs. Skunks leave small cone-shaped holes three to four inches across. Raccoons are more destructive and can peel back entire sections of sod in a single night. Flocks of starlings or robins working a section of lawn during the day often indicate grubs below the surface. The animal damage can be worse than the grub damage itself.
Brown patches that do not respond to watering. If you are irrigating consistently and a section of lawn stays brown while the surrounding turf greens up, grubs may be the cause. Drought stress responds to water. Grub damage does not because the roots are gone.
Timing. Grub damage typically appears in late summer and early fall. If brown patches show up in August or September in areas that were green earlier in the season, grubs are a likely cause.
The most common mistake homeowners make with grub control is waiting until damage appears. By that point, the root system is already destroyed and the best treatment options are behind you.
Preventative treatment with Acelepryn in spring costs less, works more reliably, and protects the lawn before any damage occurs. Curative treatment in late summer or fall costs more per application, is less effective against mature grubs, and cannot undo the root damage that has already happened. Even if a curative product kills every remaining grub, you still need to reseed or re-sod the damaged areas.
Prevention also protects against secondary damage. If grub populations never build up, skunks and raccoons have no reason to tear up your lawn looking for food.
Retail grub products like GrubEx (which contains the same active ingredient as Acelepryn at a lower concentration) are available at hardware stores. Professional-grade Acelepryn delivers a higher concentration at a more precise application rate, and we time it to Davis County soil conditions rather than a generic label date.
The most common mistake homeowners make with grub control is waiting until damage appears. By that point, the root system is already destroyed and the best treatment options are behind you.
Preventative treatment with Acelepryn in spring costs less, works more reliably, and protects the lawn before any damage occurs. Curative treatment in late summer or fall costs more per application, is less effective against mature grubs, and cannot undo the root damage that has already happened. Even if a curative product kills every remaining grub, you still need to reseed or re-sod the damaged areas.
Prevention also protects against secondary damage. If grub populations never build up, skunks and raccoons have no reason to tear up your lawn looking for food.
Retail grub products like GrubEx (which contains the same active ingredient as Acelepryn at a lower concentration) are available at hardware stores. Professional-grade Acelepryn delivers a higher concentration at a more precise application rate, and we time it to Davis County soil conditions rather than a generic label date.
Mid-April through May for Acelepryn. This gives the product time to move into the root zone before grubs hatch in late June. From June forward preventative products are no longer effective for that season.
Yes. Acelepryn is classified as a Reduced Risk Pesticide by the EPA. It has very low toxicity to mammals, birds, and bees. We recommend keeping pets and children off the treated area until the application has dried, usually a few hours.
If your lawn has had grub damage in any previous year, or if your neighbors have had grub problems, preventative treatment is recommended. Grubs spread between properties. Lawns with full sun and regular irrigation are the most common targets for egg-laying beetles.
The grubs themselves can be killed with treatment. But the grass they destroyed will not grow back on its own because the roots are gone. Damaged areas typically need overseeding or sod replacement to recover. This is why prevention is more effective than waiting.
Yes. Animals dig because grubs are present. If grub populations are kept low through preventative treatment, there is no food source to attract them. This is one of the more practical benefits of spring grub control if you see animal activity of this type.
We serve Davis County, Utah, including Bountiful, Layton, Kaysville, Farmington, Centerville, Clearfield, Syracuse, Fruit Heights, Woods Cross, West Bountiful, and North Salt Lake.
The spring application window is the most effective time to treat. Contact us to get Acelepryn grub control on your schedule before egg-laying season begins.
Phone: 801-451-2220 Text: 801-893-8836