For roots and the lawn you walk on
Two kinds of lawn insects.
Two kinds of protection.
For Central New York lawns, grub prevention works below the soil, where grubs feed on the roots. Lawn Pest Defense treats the lawn's surface for ants, chinch bugs, fleas and ticks.
What lives where
Grubs live below the soil and surface insects live on top of it, so they're treated differently. Here's which is which.
Below the soil
On the surface
Most grubs here take a year to go from egg to beetle. Here's that year, and where grub prevention fits.
April and May
Grubs move back up
Last fall's grubs come up to the roots and feed for a short time.
Late spring
Pupae
They stop feeding and turn into pupae in the soil.
Late June and early July
Beetles come out
Adult beetles crawl out of the soil to feed and mate.
July
Eggs
Females lay eggs in the soil. They hatch about two weeks later.
August
Young grubs
Tiny new grubs feed on roots close to the surface.
Late August to October
Grubs grow
They grow through two more stages and eat more roots. Damaged turf often shows now.
Late fall to early spring
Down for the winter
As the soil cools, grubs move deeper and spend the winter below the frost line. In spring they come back up, and the cycle starts again.
When grub prevention goes down
Early summer, before the eggs hatch. Cornell's window for it runs from May to July. It protects your lawn from that summer's new grubs, the ones that feed in late summer and fall, so it goes down every year. It comes with every level of our lawn program.
What's covered
From our guides: Grubs and Lawn Insects in Central New York: What Treats What
Grubs, below the soil
A preventive treatment before they feed on the roots.
Grubs already doing damage
A heavy infestation can need a curative treatment. Tell us what you're seeing in your estimate.
Insects on the lawn's surface
Surface ants, chinch bugs, sod webworms, crane flies, fleas and ticks.
Mosquitoes and ticks in trees and shrubs
That's the mosquito and tick program.
Moles, rodents or other animals
No animal control.
Inside your home
Lawn treatments stay on the lawn. Exterior pest control covers the outside of the house.
Good. Better. Best.
Both come built into the levels of a lawn or mosquito estimate. Switch between them to see where each starts.
Good: The full-season lawn program
Feeding and weed controlFeeding, crabgrass prevention, broadleaf weed control and grub prevention through the season.
Better: Lawn program + Lawn Pest Defense
Feeding and weed controlBugs in the grassEverything in Good, plus treatments for insects that live on the lawn surface, like fleas, ticks, surface ants and chinch bugs.
Best: Complete Lawn & Mosquito Care
Feeding and weed controlBugs in the grassMosquito and tick controlEverything in Better, plus season-long mosquito and tick control for the trees, shrubs and shady edges where mosquitoes rest.
Your estimate prices all three for your property, plus any extras you'd like.
Lawn Care. Good covers feeding and weed control.
Just want the lawn program? See lawn care
The Enjoy Your Yard promise
Grub and pest questions
Helpful answers about grubs, surface insects and your estimate.
No. Lawn Pest Defense treats insects that live on the lawn's surface. Grubs live below the soil, so grub prevention handles them.
Yes. Grub prevention comes with every level of our lawn program. It protects the roots of the lawn you're paying to grow, because grub damage can be costly to fix.
Preventing grubs is far more affordable than treating an active infestation. And that's just the treatment cost: grub damage can also mean expensive lawn repairs, including aeration and overseeding. Skipping a year also leaves your lawn unprotected that year. Grubs run on a yearly cycle: in Cornell's calendar, beetles lay their eggs in the lawn in July and August, and the new grubs feed on the roots in late summer and fall. Each season's prevention goes down before then and protects against that year's grubs, so it doesn't carry over to the next. That's why we strongly recommend grub prevention every year and include it in every level of our lawn program.
Tell us what you're seeing in your estimate. A heavy grub infestation can need a curative treatment, and we'll recommend the right next step.
On the lawn, yes. For the trees, shrubs and shady edges where ticks wait, add mosquito and tick control; Best includes both.
Yes. You can get it on its own, or with lawn care or mosquito and tick control.
Your price is based mainly on the size of your lawn. Start with your address and we'll price all three.
More for your yard
Add any of these to your estimate. Each is priced on its own, so you only pay for what your yard needs.
The full-season program: feeding, crabgrass prevention and weed control.
Explore lawn care
Seasonal treatments focused on where mosquitoes rest around your outdoor spaces.
Explore mosquito care
Opens compacted soil so water, air and nutrients reach the roots. Overseeding fills thin spots.
Explore aerationYour levels, the extras you pick and the price for your property.
Areas we serve
Family-owned and based in Kirkville, Happy Habitat cares for homes across Central New York.
Service boundaries can vary within a town. Check your address to confirm availability.
Check service availability
Coverage can vary street by street, so we confirm by exact address. If you are in our area, you can continue to your free estimate request without entering it again.
Tell us what you need
Pick what's bugging you most. You can add anything else at the end.
Check your address
We confirm your property is in our service area.
Get your estimate
Priced for your property, with all three levels and the extras laid out.
Approve it online
Pick what you want and approve. We send a reminder the day before every visit.
