Protect your Columbia lawn from destructive grub damage with professional grub control from Greenlawn Inc. Serving Howard County since 1986.
Japanese beetle grubs are among the most destructive lawn pests in Howard County. A single square foot of turf can harbor 10-15 grubs, and infestations of just 8-10 grubs per square foot can kill grass. Without treatment, severe infestations can destroy entire lawns, requiring expensive renovation. Prevention is far easier and cheaper than repair!
Schedule preventative grub control for your Columbia lawn
Call for FREE EstimateGrubs are the larval stage of various beetle species, with Japanese beetles being the most problematic in Columbia and Howard County. These C-shaped, cream-colored larvae with brown heads live in the soil and feed voraciously on grass roots from late summer through fall, then again in spring before pupating into adult beetles.
At Greenlawn Inc, we've been battling grubs in Howard County lawns since 1986. Our 39 years of experience has taught us that grub damage is both predictable and preventable. The key is understanding grub life cycles and applying treatments at the optimal time—something homeowners often get wrong with DIY approaches, resulting in wasted money and continued damage.
Understanding when grubs are active in Columbia helps explain treatment timing:
Grub damage often appears suddenly in late summer or early fall. Here's what to watch for in your Howard County lawn:
Unlike drought stress or disease that develops gradually, grub damage appears as irregular brown patches that expand rapidly. These patches feel spongy when walked on because roots have been severed and turf isn't firmly anchored. You can often roll up affected turf like a carpet—a definitive sign of grub damage.
Animals love grubs as a protein source. If you notice crows, starlings, or other birds pecking at your lawn, or skunks and raccoons digging holes at night, they're likely hunting grubs. This secondary damage from digging can be as unsightly as the grub damage itself. In Columbia neighborhoods, increased wildlife activity in late summer often signals grub problems.
Healthy grass has extensive root systems that hold turf firmly in place. Grub-damaged grass has few or no roots, so it pulls up easily with minimal effort. Try the "tug test" in suspicious areas—grab a handful of grass and pull. If it comes up with little resistance and no soil attached, grubs have likely severed the roots.
Drought-stressed grass recovers when watered. Grub-damaged grass doesn't—because there are no roots to absorb water. If you have brown patches in your Columbia lawn that don't improve despite watering, dig up a small section and look for grubs in the soil. Finding 8-10 grubs per square foot indicates damaging populations.
Effective grub control requires the right product applied at the right time. Here's how we approach grub treatment in Columbia and Ellicott City:
Timing: Late July through mid-August in Howard County
Target: Newly hatched grubs before they grow and cause damage
Effectiveness: 85-95% control when properly timed
Preventative treatment is the gold standard for grub control. We apply long-lasting insecticides when grubs are small, near the surface, and most vulnerable. These products create a protective barrier that kills grubs as they hatch and begin feeding. Prevention costs less than curative treatment and avoids the lawn damage entirely. We recommend preventative grub control for all Columbia lawns with a history of grub problems or properties at high risk (sunny lawns, irrigated turf, near golf courses or wooded areas).
Timing: September-October when damage is visible
Target: Larger, actively feeding grubs
Effectiveness: 60-80% control, damage already done
Curative treatment addresses existing grub infestations after damage has occurred. While we can kill grubs causing current damage and prevent further destruction, curative treatment doesn't restore dead grass—that requires overseeding or sodding in spring. Curative products must be watered in immediately to move them into the root zone where grubs are feeding. This approach is necessary when preventative treatment was skipped or grub pressure exceeded expectations, but it's always our second choice.
Timing: April-early May
Target: Overwintered grubs resuming feeding
Effectiveness: 50-70% control, limited window
Spring treatment can reduce populations of grubs that overwintered in your Howard County lawn, but it's less effective than summer prevention. Grubs are larger, feed for a shorter period before pupating, and are deeper in the soil. Spring treatment mainly benefits lawns with severe carryover populations from the previous year. We typically recommend spring treatment only when fall damage was extensive and we need to reduce the population before they emerge as egg-laying adult beetles.
Many Columbia homeowners attempt DIY grub control with products from garden centers, often with disappointing results. Here's why professional treatment is more effective:
Grub control timing is critical—apply two weeks too early or too late and effectiveness drops dramatically. Professional applicators monitor local conditions (soil temperature, adult beetle emergence, rainfall) to time applications perfectly. Most DIY failures result from incorrect timing, not product failure.
Our MDA licensing (Pesticide License #23902) allows us to use professional products that are more effective and longer-lasting than consumer products. These formulations move through soil better, remain active longer, and work at lower application rates—safer for the environment while being more effective against grubs.
Even coverage is essential for grub control. We use calibrated spreaders that ensure uniform distribution across your entire Columbia lawn—no gaps where grubs can survive, no overlaps that waste product or risk damage. Proper watering-in recommendations are also critical, and we provide specific instructions based on weather conditions.
We stand behind our grub control treatments. If grubs return despite proper treatment, we retreat at no charge. DIY products offer no such guarantee—if they don't work, you've wasted money and still have grub damage.
Prevention is easier and cheaper than repair
Schedule Grub ControlGrub control pricing in Columbia and Howard County varies based on lawn size and treatment type:
Typical pricing for Columbia residential properties ranges from $75-$200 for preventative grub control, depending on lawn size. This investment prevents damage that could cost $500-$2,000+ to repair through reseeding or sodding. We always provide detailed estimates before treatment.
The optimal timing for preventative grub control in Columbia is late July through mid-August. This window targets newly hatched grubs before they grow large enough to cause damage. We monitor local conditions closely—adult Japanese beetle activity, soil temperature, and rainfall—to schedule applications at the perfect moment. Applying too early (June-early July) means products may break down before grubs hatch. Applying too late (September) means grubs have already caused damage and are harder to kill. If you missed the preventative window and see damage in fall, curative treatment in September-October can stop further destruction. Call Greenlawn Inc in July to schedule your preventative treatment.
The most definitive test is digging up a 1-foot square section of turf in affected areas and counting grubs in the soil. Eight to ten grubs per square foot indicates a damaging population. Visual symptoms include irregular brown patches that appear suddenly in late summer, spongy-feeling turf, grass that pulls up easily like carpet, and increased activity from birds, skunks, or raccoons digging in your lawn. If you see several of these signs in your Columbia lawn, grubs are the likely culprit. Our team can inspect your property and determine if grub treatment is necessary. Keep in mind that by the time damage is visible, prevention is no longer possible—you'll need curative treatment and likely spring renovation.
When applied by licensed professionals following label directions, modern grub control products are very safe. Our MDA licensing requires training in proper application rates, techniques, and safety protocols. After treatment, we recommend keeping children and pets off the lawn until the application has been watered in and the lawn is dry (typically 24 hours). Once watered in, the product moves into the soil profile where grubs feed—not where children or pets interact with the lawn. We use products with excellent safety profiles that break down naturally over time. Many of our Columbia customers have young children and pets, and we've never had safety issues when recommendations are followed.
While DIY grub control is possible, professional treatment offers significantly better results. Consumer products are less effective formulations than professional products, require higher application rates, and have shorter residual activity. More importantly, timing is critical for grub control, and most homeowners apply too early or too late. We see many Columbia lawns where homeowners spent $50-$100 on DIY products that didn't work because timing was off by two weeks. When you factor in product cost, spreader purchase/rental, time investment, and risk of failure, professional grub control offers better value with guaranteed results. If grubs do damage despite proper professional treatment, we retreat at no charge—DIY products offer no such protection.
It depends on your lawn's history and risk factors. If you've had grub damage in the past, annual preventative treatment is strongly recommended—once beetles find your lawn suitable for egg-laying, they return year after year. Lawns with certain characteristics are also at higher risk: full sun exposure, regular irrigation, proximity to golf courses or wooded areas, and certain grass types (Kentucky bluegrass is preferred by beetles over tall fescue). Many Howard County lawns benefit from annual preventative treatment simply because Japanese beetle pressure is consistently high in our area. We can assess your specific property risk and recommend whether annual treatment makes sense or if you can monitor and treat only when necessary.
Properly timed preventative grub control is 85-95% effective, but no treatment is 100% guaranteed. If grubs appear despite treatment, we'll investigate why. Possible causes include extreme beetle pressure (unusually high adult populations), improper watering-in (if recommendations weren't followed), or grubs migrating from untreated neighboring properties. Our grub control comes with a service guarantee—if grubs cause damage despite proper treatment and watering, we'll retreat your Columbia lawn at no charge. This guarantee gives you peace of mind that your investment is protected. With DIY treatment, if products don't work, you're simply out the money with no recourse.
Don't wait until grubs destroy your Columbia lawn. Greenlawn Inc has been protecting Howard County lawns from grub damage since 1986, and we understand exactly how to time treatments for maximum effectiveness in Maryland's climate. Our 39 years of experience means we know grub pressure patterns in Columbia, Ellicott City, and throughout Howard County.
As MDA licensed professionals (Pesticide License #23902, Fertilizer Applicator #F0684), we use the most effective products available and apply them at precisely the right time for optimal results. Our comprehensive lawn care programs can include grub control along with fertilization, weed control, and other treatments for complete lawn protection.
Schedule preventative grub control for summer 2026
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Protecting Howard County lawns since 1986
Family Owned · MDA Licensed · Guaranteed Results
About Greenlawn Inc: Since 1986, Greenlawn Inc has provided expert lawn care and pest control services to homeowners throughout Columbia, Ellicott City, and Howard County, Maryland. Our MDA-licensed team specializes in comprehensive lawn care programs, grub control, weed prevention, fertilization, and all services needed to maintain beautiful, healthy lawns throughout Maryland's challenging climate.