An attractive lawn is one of the hallmarks of landscape beauty; when it becomes disfigured due to pest infestation, however, its beauty quickly diminishes. Recognizing common lawn pests and diseases is key for making timely treatment decisions and staying ahead of potential problems in your lawn.
Signs of lawn pest damage include brown patches or dead areas where grass has died. If you suspect your lawn has been compromised by pests, check its soil for white grubs (Phyllophaga species), larvae of Japanese beetles, scarab beetles and masked chafers; their C-shaped larvae feed on grass roots just below the soil surface and can complete their lifecycle within one year.
Cutworm moth larvae, another common lawn pest, devour entire grass blades and stems as well as garden plants such as roses, potatoes and apple trees. You can detect cutworm infestation by looking for sparse bare spots in the lawn. Or pour soapy water on suspicious areas – the insects will rise out to escape suffocating conditions of soapy water-soaked spots quickly, making them easy to spot.
Chinch bugs are another prevalent lawn pest, feeding on grass sap and causing considerable damage in warm-season lawns. Look out for areas of your lawn with small hour-glass-shaped holes in their leaves; though chinch bugs may be hard to detect at first, their characteristic hopping movements make it easy to identify them quickly.
Lawn fungus problems, including gray mold and slime mold, are caused by fungi growing on the soil surface that feed on organic matter to decompose it. They also feed off bacteria in the soil which feed them; feeding off these microorganisms in turn kills or weakens nearby grass growth areas.
Moles can be a serious nuisance in many lawns across the South. Signs of mole infestation include furrows that moles dig to store food. Other indicators may be mole hills on your lawn and tunnels in the soil. To manage them effectively and deter mole crickets from nesting underground pests you can apply OMRI-Listed(r) Mole Cricket Repellent to help deter their presence.
Leaf Blight, which typically affects cool-season turfgrasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, typically appears as long, water-soaked lesions on grass leaves that eventually yellow or brown and die away.
Ticks and mosquitoes are among the most frequent lawn pests, causing itchy bites that are sometimes itchy enough to send people running for cover! Ticks also transmit Lyme disease to both people and pets. You can help minimize these pests by eliminating breeding sites or by using preventative solutions like Safer Brand Mosquito & Tick Killer throughout your home.