Best Time to Treat for Grubs: A North Texas Homeowner’s Guide
If you’re a Dallas-area homeowner who’s carefully invested in your lawn, there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing brown patches or spongy turf underfoot, signs that grubs may be secretly damaging your grass roots.
At Golub Green, we believe in smart, eco-aware lawn care that respects your family, pets, and the health of your soil. Understanding when to treat for grubs is one of the most powerful steps you can take to protect your investment.
Why Timing Matters for Grub Treatment
White grubs are the larvae of beetles like June bugs, and they follow a precise seasonal cycle in North Texas. The key is to hit them when they’re vulnerable, which is small, close to the soil surface, and actively feeding. If you wait too long, treatments become far less effective.
According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension research, the optimal time to treat for white grubs in North Texas is early to mid-July, which is roughly 5-6 weeks after the peak June beetle mating flights. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service+2Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service+2
At that time, the larvae (grubs) are still in early instar stages, meaning they are smaller, closer to the soil surface, and more susceptible to insecticides or biological agents.
How to Know If You Even Need to Treat
Before you reach for any product, it’s important to check whether your lawn actually has a grub problem. Not all brown or patchy grass is caused by grubs, drought stress, disease, or other pests could be the real culprit.
Here’s a simple way to check:
Use a square-bladed shovel or edger to remove a 1-foot-by-1-foot piece of turf in several spots (especially where the damage shows).
Inspect the soil in the top 3–4 inches for grubs.
If you find more than 5 grubs per square foot, treatment is generally justified.
This step helps avoid unnecessary treatments and supports our philosophy of responsible, need-based lawn care.
Local North Texas Factors to Consider
Because we serve homeowners in Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Richardson, Garland, Grand Prairie, McKinney, and surrounding areas, here are a few region-specific notes:
Beetle flight timing: Our June beetles tend to fly and mate around mid-June, setting up egg laying soon after.
Soil conditions: North Texas lawns often have heavier clay soils, which influence how water and treatments move. That makes watering before and after treatment especially important.
Wildlife and pets: Since eco-safety is a priority for many of our clients, we often lean toward lower-risk or biological options where possible.
When to Call in the Experts
If any of the following apply, it’s a smart move to consult lawn-care professionals (like Golub Green) for grub treatment:
You’ve confirmed a high density of grubs during your scouting.
You’ve seen recurring grub damage in previous years.
You prefer to avoid chemical insecticides and want to explore eco-friendly biological or integrated pest management (IPM) options.
You want expert timing and application to maximize effectiveness.
Bottom Line: The Best Time to Treat for Grubs in North Texas
Early to mid-July is typically the sweet spot for most effective grub treatment in North Texas.
Before treating, always check your soil to confirm whether grubs are present (5+ per sq ft is a common threshold).
Use the right strategy for your lawn: preventative if you're planning ahead, curative if you already have damage.
Consider eco-aware methods like beneficial nematodes if you care about long-term sustainability and pet/child safety.
