With several weeks of hot temps, followed by last week's heavy rains here in the Chicago area, the dreaded grub worm is preparing for it's annual late Summer feast. And, since you have been a regular reader of this blog, you certainly are a prime candidate because you've followed all of my advice to the letter, and your lawn is perfectly healthy and green; ripe for an all-you-can-eat frenzy.
If you are seeing brown spots in your well-irrigated lawn, chances are that grubs are the culprit. All you have to do is lift up the outer edges of the dead spots and look for the "little shrimp" feeding underneath. If you find them, go get some Sevin or other granular insecticide and spread it across the entire lawn and water it in.
Even if you are not yet seeing any brown patches, I'd still recommend you put down something as a preventative measure. In many cases, the grub damage does not manifest itself outwardly until later September. By this time, the damage has been done, and is more extensive, requiring severe corrective measures.
Worry and anxiety operate the same way on the human state of mind.
See if you are with me here: ... Sometimes I get this "worry twinge" in the pit of my stomach. It seems to originate from nowhere, but settles in a specific place deep down. This is not to be confused with the constant "sense of urgency" that comes with working a high stress job. This is above and beyond that; it bares a heavy, strengthening pitch.
This "worry twinge" may hang with me for several hours before I give it a notice during my hectic day. If I'm busy enough, I may consciously decide to "shove" it to the back of my mind; but inevitably, it boils over to the point where I must address it.
I sit down and comb through the events of the day until I get a "hit" on a subject. Maybe it's just me, but the "hit" comes when I am mentally scrolling through my list of responsibilities, and I come across one that stabs a little sharper. This indicates to me that I'm onto the one that has changed from general responsibility, to concern, to worry, to anxiety. It's the one that has manifested itself like the grub worms in the lawn.
How has this happened? Usually it is because I have neglected something, or ignored it, or have been scared to face it, and it has festered "underneath the lawn" of my psyche, until it is now pushing outward with a vengeance.
I have couple of choices: Either I can face the issue and get it under control (put some grub killer on it), or I can choose to ignore it and let it eat me alive (and destroy the entire lawn)
What I've learned is the best cure for anxiety and grub worms is proper prevention.
For grub worms, it's always best to treat the lawn prior to seeing any brown spots, and with the anxiety in your soul, the same applies ... it's just not so cut and dry.
Here are some ways that I have learned to keep down the anxiety.
1) drink lots of beer! Ha...just kidding Mom!
2) stay organized. You can apply this to every area of your life and I do not have enough space to teach organization here. Thank God my wife helps me on this one!
3) make yourself do the uncomfortable. The way to beat anxiety is to hit it head-on. This takes you out of your comfort zone, but gives a feeling of accomplishment when it's done.
4) realize that your problems/concerns are not insurmountable. Others have been through it and have survived; so can you.
5) have faith. I know that George Michael sang about it, but it is true. Have faith in your God, and in His ability to pull you through.
6) go help someone in need. There is nothing like "giving" to make you forget about your own pitiful state.
7) look back at your own wisdom. Think about past anxieties that you have overcome and how small they now seem to be...this too shall pass.
