Is my dead lawn patch caused by grubs or fungus?

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

• People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
• This comes up 22.5× more often in r/lawncare than across the site as a whole.

1. 1
   guessing the cause or asking online communities for visual identification

   Did this help you?
2. 2
   Applying fungicides and insecticides

   Did this help you?
3. 3
   Using fertilizers, ironite, and organic soil amendments like Milorganite

   Did this help you?
4. 4
   Installing and using irrigation systems

   Did this help you?
5. 5
   Treating for grubs

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6. 6
   Digging in the lawn to check for grubs

   Did this help you?
7. 7
   Applying grub control granules

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8. 8
   Overseeding and patching bare spots with frequent watering

   Did this help you?
9. 9
   Treating for specific weeds or pests like silverleaf nightshade

   Did this help you?
10. 10
    Asking online communities for troubleshooting advice by providing watering schedules and treatment history

    Did this help you?
11. 11
    Checking for grubs by digging into the turf

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12. 12
    Looking for small moths as indicators

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13. 13
    Treating for bugs or fungus and reseeding the lawn

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14. 14
    Pouring soapy water in the affected area to check for pests

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15. 15
    Treating the area for fungus

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16. 16
    Hand-watering instead of using automated irrigation

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17. 17
    Monitoring for neighborhood dogs

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18. 18
    Applying store-bought fungicides or broad-spectrum treatments like Headway G

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19. 19
    Waiting for the growing season to end and letting it resolve over the winter to start over in the spring

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20. 20
    Avoiding watering at night

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21. 21
    Applying grub control products like GrubEx and reapplying in August

    Did this help you?
22. 22
    Core aerating, overseeding, and top dressing with compost

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23. 23
    Watering twice a day using a sprinkler and sweeping up dead grass with a lawn sweeper

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24. 24
    hand watering

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25. 25
    applying liquid fungicides like DiseaseEx

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26. 26
    planning to rake, aerate, add compost, and get a soil test

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27. 27
    inspecting turf margins for insects like chinch bugs

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28. 28
    applying beneficial nematodes

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29. 29
    Asking online forums for identification

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30. 30
    Checking timing for seasonal overseeding based on frost dates

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31. 31
    Applying fungicide products like Gravex 20 EW and Azoxy 20 Select

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32. 32
    Mulching clippings instead of bagging

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33. 33
    Adjusting mowing frequency to every 5-7 days

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34. 34
    Searching online or asking communities for identification based on visual appearance

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35. 35
    digging into the soil with a hand trowel

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36. 36
    guessing about old patio foundations, soakaways, or animal paths

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37. 37
    Guessing based on proximity to pavement or roads

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38. 38
    Observing whether nearby areas were missed by maintenance equipment

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39. 39
    Checking if local municipalities or road crews sprayed or cut back growth

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40. 40
    Watering the patch more during the hottest times of year

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41. 41
    Checking for pests using methods like the coffee tin trick

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42. 42
    Inspecting the area for signs of fungus or poor soil conditions

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43. 43
    Pouring soapy water on the lawn to flush out pests

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44. 44
    Digging in the soil to look for grubs

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45. 45
    Raking out the dead patches and applying compost/sand mix

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46. 46
    Using concentrated or granular fungicides and bug treatments from hardware stores

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47. 47
    Applying poison gummy worms or granular deterrents

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48. 48
    Treating the lawn for grubs to eliminate the burrowing animal's food source

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49. 49
    Asking online forums for a diagnosis

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50. 50
    Sharpening mower blades to prevent tearing grass

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51. 51
    Watering the lawn more frequently

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52. 52
    Posting photos and descriptions of the holes on online forums to get help identifying the pest

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53. 53
    performing the tuna can test to verify water amounts

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54. 54
    using the cycle-and-soak method for watering

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55. 55
    applying iron or specialized fertilizers

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56. 56
    Setting up a trail cam to catch the animal climbing fences.

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57. 57
    Going to specialized lawn care subreddits to ask about treating grubs.

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58. 58
    posting photos to online forums to ask for a diagnosis

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In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.