Grub Control Treatment

At TopGrass we are committed to finding new ways of improving the quality of your lawn, but also ways of protecting your lawn from potential harm. This is why we are introducing our new Grub Control Treatment.

Chafer grubs (larvae of the chafer beetle) and leatherjackets (larvae of cranefly/daddy long-legs) are some of the most common pests that we find in our customers’ lawns, and they can cause costly and substantial damage to lawns if they are not tackled. Our Grub Control Treatment service will provide a solution to these pesky critters.

Photo: Chafer Grub and Chafer Beetle

Photo: Leatherjacket and Cranefly/Daddy Long Legs

If you are interested in this service, please do get in touch by emailing us on info@topgrass.net or phoning us on 0800 433 70 80!

What is the TopGrass Grub Control Treatment?

Our Grub Control Treatment consists of a single liquid spray application. This is time sensitive to the particular species of pest that you have present in your lawn. Our Grub Control is based on a new active ingredient which was approved in 2023 by the UK Government.

Once applied, the treatment will be active against grubs in the upper soil profile of your lawn for approximately two months.

The treatment is designed to target leatherjackets or chafer grubs when they are in their early stages of development. It is important that the treatment is applied during the egg laying period of the pest being treated, so that the product is in the soil during this time in their life cycle. This is to prevent the grubs from maturing and causing extensive damage to your lawn.

Our Grub Control Treatment can only be applied once per year, so it is essential that our Grub Control treatment is applied at the correct time.

How does the Grub Control work?

The Grub Control Treatment works through the grubs ingesting the treatment while they feed on the organic matter in the soil. The treatment then takes effect by binding to the muscle cells of the grubs to paralyse them and ultimately control the pest infestation in your lawn.

Control of chafer grubs may require successive years of annual treatment to obtain effective long-term control of pest populations as they often have life cycles which last longer than a year.

What do I need to do?

The lawn will need to be mown before the treatment to get the best results. Once the TopGrass Grub Control Treatment has been applied to your lawn, it will either need to be watered in (10 mins per area using a sprinkler) or there needs to be significant rainfall of 3-5mm on the day of application. This is to move the treatment into the soil and to encourage the leatherjackets or chafer grubs to the surface of the soil where the treatment will be most active. Once the treatment is applied, the lawn should not be mowed for at least three days. The first two cuts of the lawn after the application should be mulch cuts to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment.

Preventative Measures

Thatch: A dense thatch layer provides a haven for chafer grubs and leatherjackets that they can thrive in. It is important that a lawn is scarified to reduce thatch from the lawn, that will in turn help to prevent an environment conducive for grubs. TopGrass Grub Control Treatment will not be as effective if applied to a lawn that is dense with thatch. Please click here if you wish to learn more about our renovation packages.

Healthy Lawn: A regular TopGrass treatment programme will help to strengthen your lawn to be able to better deal with a grub infestation.

Why choose our Grub Control Treatment?

Safe for children and pets: Our Grub Control treatment specifically targets chafer grubs/leatherjackets in the lawn and is safe for both pets and humans. The active ingredient in our TopGrass Grub Control Treatment does not affect mammals. We would still recommend once the treatment is applied to stay off the lawn for the day to ensure the best results.

Prevent damage to your lawn: If chafer grubs/leatherjackets in your lawn are left untreated, they will continue to damage your lawn and can lead to costly repairs. Through application of our Grub Control Treatment, this should help to reduce the damage inflicted on your lawn and ultimately help on the path to your lawn's recovery.

Stop secondary predators: The chafer grubs/leatherjackets in your lawn provide a tasty food source for secondary predators such as foxes, birds or badgers. By eliminating these pests, this will help to prevent damage to your lawn from these predators digging to get to the grubs.