Sometime in the 1950's the United States Department of Agriculture developed Milky Spore to control grubs on the grounds at the White House, Capital Hill and various parks and neighborhoods around Washington D. C. The U. S. D. A. no longer produces Milky Spore, however, it is available from St. Gabriel Laboratories of Virginia. You can purchase Milky Spore in two formulations from any of St. Gabriel Laboratories' nation wide distributors. Milky Spore is not effected by fungicides, fertilizers or pesticides. In fact, you can apply Milky Spore at the same time you are applying any of these products. After the grubs ane destroyed, the spores lay dormant in the soil for years waiting for more grubs to appear. In fact protection can last up to twenty years or more. 

One formula, the concentrate, is applied by checkerboarding your yard and dropping a spoonful of the Milky spore at each cross of each square. The squares should be made at four foot intervals for the best results. The bigger the squares the longer it takes for complete coverage. 

The second formula, unconcentrated and new on the market, can be spread in a lawn spreader, drop or rotary type. This new formula is as effective as the concentrate.

Milky Spore is effective against a number of grubs that attack your lawn. If you decide to use the concentrate, you will notice that it takes up to fourteen months to have complete protection. To do one acre of ground with the concentrate, will cost you approximately $370.00. With the new formula, you can do one acre for $270.00. Sounds expensive, but, when you spread the cost over the twenty years of protection, it's cheap. Only $18.50 per year for the concentrate and $13.50 for the new stuff.

Milky Spore is a bacterium that effects only grubs, it doesn't have any affect on people, pets, birds, fish or other beneficial insects. It isn't harmful to ponds, streams or well water. Milky Spore will not spread unless grubs are present, the more grubs the faster it spreads. As the Milky Spore kills the grubs, they decay releasing billions of new spore into the soil. When all of the grubs are dead, the spore lay dormant, for years, waiting for the appearance of more grubs to attack. You can locate grubs in your lawn by pulling back the turf. One hundred beetles will produce five thousand grubs in one season. Grubs attack over 275 different plants, shrubs and trees causing millions of dollars of damage ever year. You can apply Milky Spore to open grassy areas, flower beds and vegetable gardens.