The following information is a guide to help the homeowner recognize some of the common lawns pests. It is also intended to be used in conjunction with the Lawn Insect Pest Control leaflet, number 84-22. White Grubs White grubs are probably the most serious pests of Connecticut lawns. They are the larvae or immature stages of several species of scarab beetles. The most important in our state are the Japanese beetle, the Asiatic garden beetle, the Oriental beetle and the European chafer.
Adults emerge from the ground in late spring to early summer, mate and lay eggs in lawns.
Grubs soon hatch from these eggs. In mild weather they live one to three inches below the surface of the lawn and feed on grass roots. In the winter they move deeper, as the surface soil freezes. In the early spring they move up, as the soil warms, to feed and to complete their development. The grubs pupate to adults and emerge from the ground in late spring and early summer.