White Grub
C-shaped beetle larvae that eat grass roots from below, causing turf to peel up like a rug.
In Florida, White Grub (Phyllophaga) rates as a high concern. Rhino Pest Management provides lawn & ornamental service in Florida's Treasure & Space Coast — licensed (#JB242881) & insured technicians, rated 5.0★ from 16 Google reviews. Estimates are free: (772) 589-6842.
Photo: Nick Bédard (CC0) · Wikimedia Commons
Cream-white, C-shaped larvae with a tan head capsule and three pairs of legs near the head. Range from 10–40 mm depending on species and instar. Found in the soil 1–3 inches below the turf.
Soil under turf across all Florida lawn types. Adult beetles fly and lay eggs in summer; larvae feed on roots through fall and winter before pupating.
- Turf that can be pulled up in mats because roots have been eaten away
- Spongy, irregular brown patches that don't respond to watering
- Raccoons, armadillos and birds digging up the lawn — a reliable grub indicator
- White larvae revealed when brown turf is peeled back
Grubs destroy the root system of Bermuda, Bahia and St. Augustine grass, and the secondary damage from wildlife digging for them can devastate a lawn. Heavy infestations can require complete turf replacement.
Should I call today?
Yes, get it looked at promptly. White Grub causes damage or health problems that compound while you wait, and the cost of that damage is the part that actually gets expensive — not the treatment. An inspection is free, so there's no reason to guess.
Rhino's lawn program applies preventive and curative grub treatments timed to larval development, stopping damage before it becomes visible and protecting the root zone year-round.
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Scientific source
For the biology behind this page, the University of Florida's IFAS Extension publishes a detailed Featured Creatures profile of this species — free to read, and written by entomologists in this state:
White Grubs, Phyllophaga spp. — UF/IFAS Extension