Question
My yard is starting to get little patches that look as if they were dug up. The grass is pulled up in small spots

A friend said that it looks like skunks are digging around looking for grubs

In another area, it is very damp with a lot of mushrooms.

I just moved into this house about a month ago and hope that you can give me some answers.  The house is in north Ohio, only a few miles from Lake Erie

I sure hope; you can help.  Thanks


Answer
Good evening John:
White grubs are the most serious and destructive lawn insect pests in the mid west. While not all lawns will get grubs and the extent of grub damage varies from year to year, there are some important points to consider concerning managing grubs in lawns. Grubs are white in color, with a characteristic "C" shape body when found in the soil feeding on lawn roots. Grubs are the larval stage of beetles.
The most common grub species is the annual white grub, of which the adult is a tan colored beetle. Eggs are laid in the soil in mid-summer, primarily on well-watered lawns in full sun, often near pavement. Damage from annual white grubs typically starts in mid August and may continue until early October. Other species may damage lawns, but usually are not as common as annual white grub. The true white grub (May or June beetle), for example, typically has a 3-year life cycle, meaning it could potentially damage lawns throughout the season. Japanese beetle grubs can also occur in northern Ohio, with timing very similar to annual white grub. Adult Japanese beetles are serious defoliators of many ornamental plants.
Since grubs feed on the roots of lawn grasses, damage will appear as browning of the lawn. Consider that this also could be due to problems such as drought, poor soil, and diseases. However, grubs are easy to find by lifting sod in damaged areas and checking the root zone for the whitish grubs. Don't treat for grubs that don't exist! Skunks and raccoons may tear up lawns in search of grubs, even when grub numbers are relatively low. Typically a population of about 8 to 12 grubs per square foot causes lawn damage that requires control; whereas lower populations may not damage the grass, they may attract skunks and raccoons.
Lawns showing damage from grubs may be treated with an insecticide. Insecticides available for homeowners include trichlorfon (Dylox) (6.2% granular); bendiocarb (Intercept), halofenozide (GrubBGon, GrubEx), or imidacloprid (Merit, formerly GrubEx) for control of white grubs. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematode is an example of an alternative product for white grub control that is available.
For all products, read and follow all label directions, then apply to damaged areas. Water the insecticide into the soil immediately. If treating a large area, stop after a portion has been treated and water the material in, then complete the rest of the lawn area needing treatment. Only treat in and around affected areas; grubs may only be in a small part of the lawn. Imidacloprid and halofenozide are suggested to be applied before grub damage appears. An example of a way to use these products would be to apply in July to irrigated lawns that are surrounded by dry lawns, especially when adult beetle flight is high in areas with a history of grub damage.
Spring treatment for annual white grub is not suggested since the grubs feed for a short period of time in spring and are reaching maturity, thus are not controlled easily. In addition, turfgrasses are actively growing at that time so usually don't show damage.    

Japanese beetle grubs descend deeper into the soil when root-zone temperatures drop to 60癋. Masked annual white chafer grubs remain in the root zone until the temperature drops to 50癋. If grub damage is occurring, pull back the turf to see if grubs are still present in the root zone.
Whether to treat this late in the growing season depends on several factors. If soil temperatures indicate that descent out of the root zone is imminent, feeding should cease soon. Increased irrigation may allow the turf to grow roots faster than the grubs eat them and continue to produce roots into the fall after the grubs have descended. Although the same grubs come back up next spring to feed, rainfall and a short grub-feeding period in the spring may allow the turf to tolerate feeding with little obvious injury.
Alternatively, high grub numbers now will likely result in high numbers in the spring. A dry spring could easily result in damage that could be prevented now. In addition, warm late fall weather could allow the grubs to feed for several weeks yet. Decisions need to be made based on grub numbers, and other factors. Trichlorfon (Dylox) irrigated with at least 1/2 inch of water to carry the insecticide into the root zone is likely to be the most effective insecticide at this time of year.

Now after all that on grubs the other problem I understand is mushrooms. There is not much one can do about most mushroom problems other than digging up the soil to a depth of about a foot and replacing it. I am sure you don't want to do that. I have given you a net site below that may be of help to you. I have never tried this product so I cannot endorse it. Mushrooms appear in lawns because there is organic pieces (such as dead roots and construction lumber) buried in the soil. After a period of time the organic substances will be used up and the mushrooms will disappear. This could take several years.

http://www.galaxymall.com/product/landscaping/

I hope I have been of help to you.
Floyd McMahon