PK-L02 · Yard, turf, and garden pests

How to get rid of white grubs in turf

Scarabaeidae larvae (Japanese beetle, masked chafer, June beetle, and others)

Also called: turf grub

White grubs are C-shaped larvae that eat grass roots. Skunks and raccoons peeling turf are often hunting them. The species matters: Japanese beetle, masked chafers, and true June beetles have different timings. Treating the wrong week wastes chemistry and still kills non-targets. Verify by rolling turf, count per square foot against local thresholds, then use a labeled product at the right instar — or accept some damage. Preventive neonics on a lawn that is not over threshold is how pollinators and streams lose.

White grub (turf) (Scarabaeidae larvae (Japanese beetle, masked chafer, June beetle, and others)) — identification photo
Identification photo of White grub (turf) (Scarabaeidae larvae (Japanese beetle, masked chafer, June beetle, and others)). Use this with the notes below — size, color, and markings matter more than a single photo, and look-alikes are listed in the sidebar.

How to identify White grub (turf)

  • C-shaped, brown head, in the root zone, turf lifts like a carpet.
  • Adults are chafers or Japanese beetles depending on species — ID the adult if you can.

Signs of an infestation

  • Brown patches that roll back.
  • Animal digging at night. Birds pecking lawns.

Biology and why they show up

One- or three-year cycles depending on species. Irrigation and drought change damage visibility. Not moles (ridges) and not voles (surface paths).

Health and property risk

Dead turf, secondary wildlife digging. Pesticide runoff. Not a house infestation.

Proven control sequence

Work in this order. Skipping inspection or exclusion is why most “treatments” bounce back in a week.

  1. Sample before you spray. Cut three sides of a square foot, peel, count. Compare to extension thresholds.
  2. Time the application to young larvae if you treat. Labels and local calendars. Watering-in instructions are not optional.
  3. Cultural: do not overwater a buffet. Healthy roots tolerate more. Overly lush lawns can hide high counts until a drought week.

Prevention that actually sticks

  • Diversify away from a monoculture of shallow-rooted turf if grubs win every year.
  • Keep wildlife digging in perspective — it is a symptom.

When to hire a licensed professional

Large turf, HOAs, and anyone who cannot identify the grub. Lawn services should show you counts, not a route spray.

Legal and safety notes. Bee advisories on many turf insecticides. Water setbacks. Do not apply before rain into a storm drain.

United States and Tier 1 notes

Japanese beetle grubs in the East. Masked chafers widely. June beetles more northern/periodic. Follow your land-grant calendar, not a national blog date.

Common questions

The skunks are the pest, right?

They are hunting grubs. You can trap skunks and still have grubs. Sample the lawn.

Sources

Written by the Pest Kill Editorial Team. Published August 25, 2026. Last reviewed September 13, 2026.