Proper watering can improve performance of certain insecticides. However, excessive watering does not improve the movement of insecticide into the root zone and can decrease the effectiveness of insecticides for soil insect control. Furthermore, excess watering increases potential problems with pesticide and fertilizer runoff. The form of the insecticide has little effect in white grub control. Granular and liquid sprays often perform equally well.
Treatments made against older grubs often result in poor control.
Black turfgrass ataenius is best managed by applications that control adults, made during periods when large numbers of the beetles are observed at dusk. These biological controls are available from various suppliers. If lawn areas are damaged by white grubs or billbugs, give extra attention to the grass to help it grow back. After grubs move into the soil in fall, bluegrass often will repair much of the earlier damage. The most important means to limit white grub injury is to grow a healthy lawn.