Why do I have dead patches in my lawn?
To start with I just bought a place in April in Central Coast Maine. The lawn, flower beds and trees have been neglected for about twelve years. First the lawn. There are dead patches of grass with roots eaten and the soil in those areas is almost like very fine sawdust. I have suspected some kind of larva or grub which was confirmed today when I found numerous holes about 2cm across. There are 10 to 15 holes per square foot. There have been a bunch in the flower beds so I believe they are about an inch long with a black or dark brown head with mandibles similar to an ant. When dug up they curl up tight. What are they? What natural method should I use to eliminate and/or prevent them so I don’t hurt earth worms and other benifitail insects.
It sure sounds like you’re having problems with Japanese beetles, which spend about ten months of the year in the ground in the form of a plump, white grub (3/4 inch long). Like most grubs, they feed on grassroots and are especially injurious to lawns, which will show irregularly shaped patches of wilted, dead or dying grass. The adults — those shiny, green-black beetles as big as a fingernail – feast on foliage, preferring most of all your prize roses.
Japanese beetles are the worst problem many lawn-owners will face, and perhaps the worst turf pest in North America. Click on our Pest Problem Solver page to learn organic and natural methods for getting rid of Japanese beetles on lawns and landscaped areas.