An attractive lawn is one of the hallmarks of a well-kept landscape, but pest infestations and diseases can quickly turn it ugly if left to run rampant. By being aware of potential infestations early, taking immediate steps can save your yard before damage takes hold. Recognizing any suspicious signs can help ensure swift action is taken before irreparable damage takes hold.
Problematic patches of grass that turn brown and die are the telltale sign that something is amiss with your lawn. In other cases, the lawn may feel spongy to touch or look matted. If clumps of grass start growing together in these spots, sod webworms could be at work; their larvae feed on grass roots near soil surface for food causing serious lawn damage if left uncontrolled; their adult form emerges at dusk as small buff moths that fly overhead regularly.
Leaf Blight, which often affects cool-season turfgrasses like Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, typically appears as water-soaked lesions on grass leaves, usually occurring in shaded or poorly ventilated areas of a lawn. More serious foliar diseases include Rust which manifests itself with yellow or orange-yellow patches on foliage in late summer or fall due to inadequate fertilization of lawns.
Other telltale signs of lawn pests include “worm burrows” in the soil or raised ridges and paths resembling rodent tracks, created by moles in search of insects such as grubs, worms and moths which they feed off of. You may also witness raised ridges where moles have eaten away at thatch in your yard.
Preventing insects and diseases by regularly aerating the soil to enhance drainage and reduce compaction is one way of protecting yourself against insects and diseases, while regular weed control should also help. As invasive weeds provide ideal habitats for many lawn pests such as grubs, fungus and insect eggs to thrive, regular control is also vitally important. Add beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, and nematodes to your yard can help promote predatory species that will eat pests like rodents and maintain a balanced pest-to-predator balance in your environment. Preventative strategies must often be combined in order to effectively combat pests, such as applying targeted insecticide or nematode treatments against grubs or using OMRI-listed mole cricket repellent for moles. Furthermore, maintaining healthy lawn conditions will help your yard withstand occasional attacks from these insects.