MANHATTAN, Kan. – Some kind of creature has been tearing up sections of Kansas lawn turf this fall. The most numerous cases have shown up in the Wichita area.

Upcoming weather will determine whether homeowners have enough time to offset the damage before winter hits. Typically, though, the only other needed step will be to discourage the marauding animal, said Ward Upham, Master Gardener program coordinator for Kansas State University Research and Extension.

“Starlings, crows, foxes and the occasional armadillo will tear up turfgrass, looking for a meal,” Upham said. “Odds are, though, the critters will turn out to be raccoons or skunks. Both of them really like the underground white grubs that have been actively eating turf roots in Kansas since August.

“Often, the only real clue to a foraging animal’s identity is in how it messes up a lawn – how it gets to grubs. Raccoons peel turf back like a rug. Skunks are more destructive and tear turf into small pieces.”

He recommends that homeowners work to stop the problem by controlling the grubs, rather than the wildlife.

“If you aren’t supplying a food source, the animal will leave,” Upham said. “Fortunately, you probably won’t have to treat your entire yard to take care of things.”

Checking for high grub populations simply requires acting like a raccoon and trying to pull up turf -- especially in places that look stressed or off-color. Grub-damaged turf will pull up like a carpet.

“If you find areas you can peel, look for C-shaped, rusty-headed white grubs in the soil,” he said. “If none are there, the soil may have cooled enough that the grubs have gone down deeper for the winter, so won’t cause any more damage this year. If grubs are present, you can treat the area with dylox – found in such products as Dylox, 24-Hour Grub Control and Pronto White Grub Control. You’ll need to activate the product by watering it in.”

After that, homeowners should encourage as much turf rooting as possible before winter.

“Water the damaged areas if we have dry weather,” Upham advised. “Also, if you didn’t fertilizer the lawn in September, fertilize it now.”

For homeowners who suspect preventive (more costly) grub treatments may still be necessary next year, further information is available at any county or district K-State Research and Extension office or on the Web at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/entml2/MF2635.pdf.

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