2023 Best Grub Killer Guide for 2023

Grub worms and destructive little things. Grub infestations can cause lawn damage quickly, taking a once beautiful, lush mat of green grass and turning it into a bare, dry, brown patch of scratchy, brittle brush. The following guide on the best grub killer will help DIYers figure out which product they need to prevent grub damage to their gorgeous lawns.

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• Best Overall: BioAdvanced 24-Hour Grub Killer Plus
• Best Budget: Sevin Lawn Insect Killer Granules
• Premium Pick: Arena .25 Granular Insecticide Grub Control
• Best Organic: Biologic Scanmask 5 Million Live Beneficial Nematodes
• Best Liquid: Garden Safe HG-93179 Neem Oil Extract Concentrate
• Best for Japanese Beetle: St. Gabriel Organics Milky Spore Grub Control Mix Pest Controller
• Best Grub Prevention: Merit 0.5 Granular Systemic Insect Control
• Easiest Application: Safer Brand Ready-to-Use End All Insect Killer (6-pack)
• Best for Stressed Lawns: BioAdvanced Season Long Grub Control Plus Turf Revitalizer
• Also Consider: The Andersons Organic Grub Control

10 Best Grub Killer Products for Lawns

The following are 10 of the best grub killer products on the market. Be sure to check out each, but don’t forget to read the top shopping considerations below to determine which grub control option is best for you.

Best Overall: BioAdvanced 24-Hour Grub Killer Plus

Active Ingredient: Trichlorfon
Type: Granule
Species: Ants, armyworms, billbugs, chinch bugs, chafer larvae, crickets, cutworms, earwigs, crane fly, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles, leafhoppers, millipedes, mole crickets, pillbugs, scorpions, sod webworms, sowbugs, ticks, white grubs, and more

BioAdvanced 24-Hour Grub Killer Plus offers the best of both worlds: easy application by hand or with a spreader and a fast-acting formula. This product’s active grub control ingredient is trichlorfon, and it’s effective against a wide range of yard pests.

To apply, BioAdvanced suggests setting a lawn spreader to 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet. It can be applied in spring and summer and provide season-long grub control.

Best Budget: Sevin Lawn Insect Killer Granules

Active Ingredient: Zeta-Cypermethrin, Bifenthrin
Type: Granule
Species: Mole cricket, grubs, ants, chinch bugs, ticks, and fleas

For an effective contact grub killer, check out Sevin Lawn Insect Killer Granules. This product uses Zeta-cypermethrin and bifenthrin, two contact killers that will quickly reduce grub populations. These granules are suitable for use in fruit and vegetable gardens, ornamental flower gardens, lawns, and around the home.

Users can apply Sevin directly to the lawn or garden area by hand or with a spreader. After application, it must be watered in with a hose or rain.

Premium Pick: Arena .25 Granular Insecticide Grub Control

Active Ingredient: Clothianidin
Type: Granule
Species: Adelgids (Hemlock Woolly, fungus gnats), Lace Bugs, Leaf Beetles, Leafhoppers, Leafminers, Mealybugs, Psyllids, Root Weevils, Black Vine, Roundheaded borers, Thrips, Whiteflies, White Grubs, Armyworms, Chinch Bugs, Crane Fly, Cutworms, Nuisance Ants, Sod Webworms, Mole Crickets

Folks looking for a broad spectrum product that kills grubs along with many other species should consider Arena’s .25 Granular Insecticide Grub Control. This product’s active ingredient is clothianidin and it’s suitable for yards, ornamentals, interior plantscapes, and fruit trees

Arena should be applied when grubs are first noticed. The package contains instructions on treatment rates.

Best Organic: Biologic Scanmask 5 Million Live Beneficial Nematodes

Active Ingredient: Beneficial Nematodes
Type: Organic
Species: Japanese beetles, cutworms, wireworms, weevils, white grubs, fungus gnat larvae, flea larvae, and subterranean termites

Beneficial nematodes are one of the best grub killers in the organic category. Dr . Pye’s Scanmask Beneficial Nematodes bucket contains 10 million live nematodes which will quickly penetrate the soil and hunt down grubs and other lawn pests.

Applying these nematodes is easy. Simply wet the soil before application, spread it by hand in damaged areas, and then water the lawn again. Once applied, this product attacks over 230 lawn pests and wood-boring insects.

Best Liquid: Garden Safe HG-93179 Neem Oil Extract Concentrate

Active Ingredient: Neem oil
Type: Liquid, organic
Species: Japanese Beetles, Whiteflies, Mealy Bugs, Armyworms, Hornworms, Leafhoppers, Bagworms, Leafminers, Psyllids, Fruit Flies, Loopers, Budworms, Aphids, Scales, Caterpillars, Midges, Budworms, and Mites

Garden Safe Neem Oil might not be just for grubs, but it is an organic and effective grub killer. Neem oil is a natural insecticide, fungicide, and miticide, helping lawns stay bug, fungus, and mite-free. The formula kills eggs, larvae, and adult insects, making it a great choice for natural gardeners.

This product is designed to be diluted in water according to the manufacturer’s directions. Once mixed, it can be watered into a lawn or garden easily.

Best for Japanese Beetles: St. Gabriel Organics Milky Spore Grub Control Mix Pest Controller

Active Ingredient: Milky spore
Type: Granule
Species: Japanese beetles and other beetles and grubs

St. Gabriel Organics Milky Spore Grub Control mix is a great choice for anyone looking for a natural approach to the Japanese beetle issue. This granular product introduces milky spore into the soil around the grubs which then consume the spores. The spores then turn the grubs’ insides into a milky consistency, killing them within a couple of weeks. This works on newly hatched larvae as well as mature grubs.

Like any other granule, this product comes with instructions to use to set up a spreader correctly with the right disbursement. And, this product is totally safe for animals, making it one of the best pet safe grub killer products on the market.

Best Grub Prevention: Merit 0.5 Granular Systemic Insect Control

Active Ingredient: Imidacloprid
Type: Granule
Species: Adelgids, aphids, Asian long-horned beetles, billbug larvae, chinch bug, elm leaf beetle, European chafers, European crane flies, Japanese beetle, May and June beetles, mealybug,s mole cricket, Northern masked chafers, Oriental beetles, Southern masked chafers, white grub, and more

Merit’s Granular Systemic Insect Control is extremely effective at controlling grub populations before they explode. This product uses imidacloprid, making it effective after beetles lay eggs, attacking those eggs and preventing them from hatching into mature grubs.

Like most grub controllers, this product is best applied earlier in the grub season, between April and June. It can be applied by hand but is best applied with a spreader with adjustable settings.

Easiest Application: Safer Brand Ready-to-Use End All Insect Killer 6-Pack

Active Ingredient: Neem oil, potassium salts of fatty acids, and pyrethrins
Type: Liquid
Species: Aphids, beetles, caterpillars, mealy bugs, mites, psyllids, stink bugs, worms, and more

While the name “End All” might sound terrifying, Safer Brand’s Ready-to-Use End All Insect Killer might be a great choice for folks fighting grub infestations. This liquid product contains natural ingredients like neem oil and potassium salts of fatty acids, both of which are effective grub killers, but it also contains pyrethrins which are a bit higher-test but safe enough for fruits and vegetables (according to the manufacturer).

This spray bottle can be applied to vegetable gardens, grasses, herbs, ornamental trees and shrubs, as well as house plants and flowers.

Best for Stressed Lawns: BioAdvanced Season Long Grub Control Plus Turf Revitalizer

Active Ingredient: Imidacloprid
Type: Granule
Species: Mole cricket, crane fly larvae, billbugs, beetle grubs, and more

If those grubs already did some damage and it’s time to control them while also rebuilding that lawn, check out BioAdvanced Season Long Grub Control Plus Turf Revitalizer. This product’s main active ingredient is imidacloprid which attacks eggs, but it also contains fertilizers to re-energize affected grass roots, brown patches, and other grub damage.

This granule is easy to apply to the entire lawn, but it can also be focused on areas where grub damage is evident. Once applied by hand or with a spreader, it should be watered into the soil.

Also Consider: The Andersons Organic Grub Control

Active Ingredient: Bacillus thuringiensis
Type: Granule
Species: Bluegrass weevil, Asiatic garden beetle, European chafer, green June beetle, Japanese beetle, May or June beetles, northern and southern masked chafers, and oriental beetles.

There’s a lot to unpack with The Andersons Organic Grub Control. This is a granule product with the active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis as well as other fermented solids, spores, and insecticidal toxins. This combination allows it to kill a wide range of white grubs, mature grubs, and adult beetles.

The best way to apply The Andersons Organic Grub Control is with a spreader. The package has a handy diagram to allow users to choose their given spreader and follow the chart to determine the appropriate settings.

What are Grubs, and How Do They Damage Lawns?

Lawn grubs are the immature form of many types of beetles and some insects. This includes grub larvae of the June beetles, green June beetles, northern masked chafer beetles, chinch bugs, mole crickets, and Japanese beetles, among many others. While adult beetles are a bit more distinct, as larvae, they all look relatively the same (white to off-white in color with tan or brown heads).

Beetle larvae damage lawns by eating grass roots. As these grubs consume the roots, they disconnect the blades of grass from the roots, preventing the grass from wicking up moisture and feeding the lawn. This results in broken blades of grass, brown patches, spongy lawns, and eventually, a large population of beetles.

Generally speaking, most beetles lay eggs in the early summer. As newly hatched grubs emerge (sometimes after just a few days), they immediately begin feeding on grass roots. However, it may take until late summer or early fall before the damage shows. Sometimes, the damage doesn’t show until early spring.

Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Grub Killer

While ordering or picking up a grub control product doesn’t take much thought, choosing the best grub killer for you in a given scenario does. Below are some of the most important points to consider when shopping through the best lawn grub killers on the market.

Granular vs Liquid Grub Killer

There are two main forms of grub killer: granular and liquid. Each has its pros and cons, so it’s important to learn a bit about both types before choosing.

• Granular grub killers are very easy to spread. They come in bottles or bags of loose grains, and the user can spread them by hand or with a seed spreader, depending on their needs. While these products are handy and easy to use, they can take a while before the active ingredients soak into the soil surface to kill grubs.
• Liquid grub killers allow for immediate results as the liquid soaks into the soil immediately. These products attach to a hose, mix in a watering can, or come in spray bottles. While the hose-attached sprayers are incredibly easy to use, the other options can be a bit more challenging for large lawns. These products also tend to be more expensive on a large scale, so folks with a lot of property may want to pass on these.

Which option to use depends on multiple scenarios, but for large, expansive properties, a granular grub control product is typically best, and for a severe grub infestation in a small yard, a liquid may be best.

Grub Killer vs. Grub Prevention

Grub killer and grub prevention are two different types of products, but both have a role and are important to a healthy lawn.

Grub killers are designed for treating grub infestations. These products are known as contact killers, as they attack and kill grubs that already exist in the lawn. Folks with an active grub problem should consider using a grub killer product, and they can be applied anytime throughout the growing season if there is an issue.

Grub preventers are different. These products are meant to keep an infestation from occurring by targeting the eggs before the grubs hatch, keeping them from ever feeding on the lawn. The best time to apply a grub preventer is in early spring to early summer, before the grubs hatch and cause an issue.

The Active Ingredient In Grub Control Products

There are a few different types of grub control products, and they may contain different active ingredients. Below are some of the most common ingredients designed to prevent or kill a grub population:

Imidacloprid

Imidacloprid is designed to attack beetle larvae before they can hatch from the eggs. It’s generally safe around pets, wildlife, and beneficial insects. An application can last up to four months, providing-season long grub control.

Bifenthrin

Some products may contain bifenthrin, which is a powerful contact killer. It immediately soaks in the soil surface and begins killing grubs on contact. However, it will kill other beneficial insects as well, as this is one of the most effective pesticide ingredients on the market.

Chlorantraniliprole

Chlorantraniliprole protects the grass from the inside out. This insecticide soaks into the roots of the grass to protect the lawn against grubs for up to four months at a time. Also, it’s safe for use around children, pets, and beneficial insects like honey bees, butterflies, and more.

Trichlorfon

Another extremely effective grub killer, Trichlorfon is a powerful insecticide that works against a wide range of other lawn pests, not just grubs. It is a contact killer so it works quickly to kill active grubs and other insects, but it doesn’t provide long-lasting prevention.

Other Ingredients

Also, it’s important to note that not all of the best grub worm killer products contain products capable of harming beneficial insects. Organic grub killers often contain beneficial nematodes or milky spore bacteria, both of which are natural answers to controlling grubs. Using an organic grub killer might not spur the same fast-acting results, but used properly these products can keep grub worms under control in lawns, flower beds, and vegetable gardens.

Grub Control Safety

Products used to control grubs require special safety precautions. It’s important to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and only apply as much product as is needed. Applying too much pesticide of any kind can lead to runoff that can harm aquatic life or kill insects like pollinators and other insects unnecessarily. Also, poisoned bugs can be eaten by birds and other predators, potentially poisoning them as well.

Grub Control Products Application

When applying grub killer, there are certain rules to consider. First, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using grub killers. Also, consider the following:

• Apply granular grub control to the soil surface before rain or water it in after applications. This will reduce the amount of time it takes to start being effective.
• With liquid concentrates, be sure to mix the product according to the instructions to prevent lawn damage and potentially harming other insects and wildlife.
• Wear boots, gloves, long sleeves, and eye protection when applying liquid products for killing grubs.
• Wear boots, gloves, long sleeves, eye protection, and a mask when applying granular products as these grub-killer options can be dusty and dangerous to breathe in.
• Always allow the area to dry thoroughly before allowing pets or any humans on the lawn.

Signs of Grub Damage in Your Lawn

Japanese beetle grubs, mole cricket grubs, and all the other pesky white grubs that lie under the soil surface will typically leave a sign or two behind.

Brown Patches

As grubs feed on the grass roots, they disconnect the blades from the sources of water and nutrients they need to stay lush and green. This results in patchy brown spots in areas where grub-feeding activity is concentrated.

Spongy Feel

Grub damage often makes the soil underneath the damaged lawn feel spongy. Walking on these surfaces may feel like they have a slight bounce, indicating a grub problem underneath.

Loose Blades of Grass

Since feeding grubs damage the roots of the grass, there isn’t much to anchor the blades into the ground. If reaching down to the soil and tugging on the turf easily removes a handful of blades of grass, it’s likely grub damage.

Square Feet Test

One way to check for a grub infestation is to perform a test. With a shovel, dig a square foot of soil from the yard, about three inches into the soil surface. Flip the turf over and investigate how many grubs there are in that square foot. Just a few grubs in each per square feet acceptable, but 5 to 10 white grubs could be the start of an infestation, while more than ten grubs is a definite issue.

Do this in three or four spots across an average-sized lawn to determine how serious the problem has become.

Other Ways to Prevent, Kill, or Control Grubs

It doesn’t have to be all high-powered pesticides and insecticides to kill grubs. The following are some other grub killers to consider when deciding how to treat grubs.

Introduce Natural Predators to Eat the Grubs

When it comes to controlling lawn grubs, birds may be the homeowner’s best grub killer. These natural predators eat grubs and can help reduce the population if they’ve been invited into the yard. We’re looking for natural pest control technicians like chickadees, blue jays, cardinals, and robins (among others). Here are a few tips for attracting them:

• Set up bird feeders and maintain them to attract birds to the yard to help with controlling grubs. Keep in mind that many local ordinances will determine if this is allowed.
• Bird baths where feathered pest techs can stop for a drink will also attract an array of birds and help get rid of grubs.
• Birdhouses around the property will encourage groups of birds to stay in the area, reducing the amount of chinchbugs, Japanese beetle grubs and adults, mole crickets, and other lawn pests that plague the yard.

Dethatch the Lawn

Grubs do best in lawns with thick layers of thatch on top of the soil. This gives them the moisture and protection they need to survive while they grow into adult beetles. Dethatching the lawn can help by limiting the grub-friendly turf.

Voluntary Drought

If you’re watering your lawn and experiencing grubs, try skipping watering for a few weeks. Three to four weeks of voluntary drought conditions can kill grubs, and the lawn will typically recover without an issue. However, any rains that occur during the voluntary drought period will work against the homeowners’ plans, so this may not be the best route in some cases.

FAQs

Will My Grub Killer Affect Bees and other Pollinators?

Some grub killers, such as those that contain bifenthrin, will kill bees and other pollinators. If this is a concern, try using a product that uses chlorantraniliprole or imidacloprid, as these products are safe for pets, wildlife, humans, honey bees, and other pollinators.

What is the most effective grub killer?

In our opinion, the most effective grub killer is the BioAdvanced 24-hour Grub Killer Plus. It contains Trichlorfon and is effective against a wide range of grubs and other insects.

What is the best way to get rid of grubs?

The best way to get rid of grubs is to use a contact killer like bifenthrin or trichlorfon. Just keep in mind that these effective grub killers will also kill other beneficial bugs. For folks who’d like a product that kills grubs without harming other insects, consider beneficial nematodes or active ingredients like imidacloprid and chlorantraniliprole.

Do grub-control products also kill bugs?

Some grub killers will also kill lawn insects like fire ants, beetles, mole crickets, chinch bugs, crane fly larvae, ticks, spiders, and other bugs.

How Should You Use Grub Killers For Controlling Lawn Grubs?

A grub preventer should be applied in early spring to early summer to prevent a grub problem. Grub killers can be applied once the grub infestation is noticed. In either case, be sure to use the manufacturer’s instructions.

How Do Pest Control Experts Get Rid of Lawn Grubs?

Most professional companies will fight lawn grubs by applying a grub killer plus strengthening the lawn with a fertilizer product. The healthier the lawn, the easier it will be to get rid of grubs.

Can I seed grass after applying my grub killer?

Grub killers and grass seed can be applied at the same time if desired. These two products don’t inhibit each other, meaning it’s fine to apply one after the other or at the same time.

Will grubs go away on their own or die in the winter?

Grubs go dormant in the winter, but they don’t typically go away. They’ll be back in the warmer weather so it’s best to use a combination of a grub killer and grub preventer to get them under control.