Hi Gil,

The active ingredient chlorantriniliprole can be used to prevent grubs, and it is a low-risk product for bees. It is about the only one, except for some strains of bacteria that are commercially available (but usually expensive and not as effective, so not commonly used). Other products that kill grubs are a high risk for bees and other insects. There are some practices that can help reduce the risk for bees (such as not applying to flowering plants), but ants and caterpillars may still be affected.

One very important point to consider is if grub control is necessary. Healthy lawns can withstand higher grub populations than most people think, and it's important to weigh the risk of potential grub infestations against the need of application. Here is an article that covers more on grub control products and when to apply them: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_to_choose_and_when_to_apply_grub_control_products_for_your_lawn

UC Davis has pesticide ratings based on risk to bees, which is another helpful resource if you come across a product and want to know what kind of risk it would pose. You can check it out here: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/bee-precaution-pesticide-ratings/. It breaks pesticide products into three categories and suggests some mitigation efforts for reducing risk to bees.