The Call of the Wild Grub
If you have a lawn, they live in it, feed on it, and burrow underneath it. Grubs eat the roots of grass and therefore can do a lot of damage before they are spotted. Brown patches of dead grass will be the first sign of grub infestation.
But they can also do damage more indirectly, by attracting raccoons and skunks to your back yard. These rodents will dig through the grass in attempts to secure an easy and delicious grub-centered meal.
To keep the rodents away, the best approach is to discourage their presence. To make your yard inhospitable, dangle shiny CDs above the area, use loud noises, spread ammonia-soaked rags, or disperse the urine from predatory animals.
Most home care businesses will supply a variety of products to repel rodents.
Controlling the grub population may be necessary if there is a serious infestation (four or more grubs per square foot), but using grub pesticides can have adverse consequences for other, beneficial soil organisms.
A better approach to rid the lawn of too much digging is to spread a generous coating of Milorganite, which will dissuade rodents from digging. To repair damage, re-seeding can begin in the fall season.