The threat to your lawn from the heat of summer is coming to an end, but the threat to your lawn in the form of root and leaf eating grubs, caterpillars and insects remains; some of these nasty critters can keep attacking right through the months of autumn. Now is the time to safeguard against them.

**Pest Alert**

Army worm are on the march! Army worm can scalp an entire lawn in just a few days! Make sure you take action urgently if you see these pests in large numbers ‘marching’ their way across your lawn.

What to look for

If you have brown or straw-like patches in your lawn, or your lawn’s leaves are disappearing, you may have an infestation of these grubs. Look for the telltale sign of small green droppings, which are basically your old lawn! Also look for white/grey moths, which is another indication of a problem.

Cutworms, armyworms and sod webworms are some of the creatures that can ravage your lawn. They feed on your lawn’s leaves, becoming moths following their pupae stage. The lifecycle of these lawn grubs is about 30 to 40 days, which means they can occur several times over summer and autumn.

Adult black beetles can cause a problem in large numbers. They shouldn’t be much of a problem in smaller numbers though and can in fact be beneficial to some lawns.

What to apply

Grub Guard

Lawn Solutions Grub Guard can take care of these pests. It can be used after an attack from, for example, bugs and aphids, and prior to an attack from grubs. Grub Guard is ideal for smaller areas and resolving initial infestations. To ensure grubs are eradicated, you reapply Grub Guard two weeks after an initial application. This is especially important because eggs can take two to five weeks to hatch. A re-application at this point ensures that any missed eggs or grubs are eliminated.

If you need to treat an adult black beetle problem in autumn or winter, you can apply Grub Guard.  If you can’t get hold of some Grub Guard you can try Baythroid Advanced Insect Killer For Lawns, which is available from Bunnings. This also kills adult black beetles.

Acelepryn GR

Acelepryn GR can also eradicate cutworms, armyworms and sod webworms. Acelepryn is ideal for larger areas and long-term pest control. It provides protection for up to six months. This is why we recommend Acelepryn. Acelepryn provides safe and effective control of these bugs, while minimising the impact on the environment and non-target organisms, such as bees and earthworms. Therefore, now is a great time to spread it and protect your lawn.

Acelepryn insecticide provides season-long control of grubs and caterpillars in a single application. The efficiency and longevity of performance of this product means your lawn is free of trouble for longer and because Acelepryn is exempt from poison scheduling, personal protection requirements are reduced. As well, Acelepryn GR is a non-spray option, which means it’s easier to use.

Acelepryn kills the larvae of Black Beetle, which are present from about November to March, so an application of this for treating Black Beetle is best applied in September.

Pests such as insects and caterpillars remain a threat to your lawn through autumn, but they’re easily controlled with the right choice of insecticide. A little knowledge about the lifecycle of these pests aids in the decision. With products such as Acelepryn and Grub Guard you can protect your lawn against attacks for many months.