Originally posted on 10/30/2018
Most homeowners like to have a healthy, thick, and green lawn. However, pest invasion can cause your grass to turn brown. It is advisable to learn different pests that can invade your lawn. Some of the common signs of a pest invasion include dead grass, brown spots, and wilting blades. Underground pests dig tiny holes in the garden.
Read on to learn how to identify lawn pests.
1. Grubs
White grubs are the larvae of scarab beetles such as the Japanese beetles and masked chafers. They mostly feed on grassroots during spring and summer. Generally, grubs mature within a year. Mature caterpillars dig holes before winter. If a grub invasion is intense, it leads to wilted blades and brown turf patches. Crows, moles, and skunks like feeding on grubs.
2. Chinch Bugs
Different species of chinch bugs can attack your lawn grass. Some chinch bugs such as hairy chinch bugs are common in America. They suck on tender grass blades. While feeding, they produce an anticoagulant which prevents grass from absorbing water. Eventually, it withers and dries up.
Chinch bug invasion is prevalent from June to August. Initially, a purple tinge occurs before the grass turns yellow and brown. You can easily mistake it for natural withering, but a close inspection can help you spot the bugs.
3. Sob Webworm
A sob webworm is a larva if the sod webworm moth. Young webworms are about 1 inch long, and they are green or brown. Adult moths have an evident protrusion which resembles a double snout. Sod webworms feed on grass stems and blades. They cause extensive damage to lawns. Often, the turf has numerous holes that birds create as they feed on the worms.
4. Armyworm
Armyworms are 2-inch pests whose color ranges from gray to pink depending on their species. With time, they mature into brown browns which you can identify at night.an armyworm can produce three generations from spring to summer.
Keeping Your Lawn Safe from Pests with Professional Help
In its initial stage, it is tricky to detect pest invasion in a lawn. If you identify grubs, chinch bugs, armyworms, and sod webworms, you can control them with insecticides.an ideal insecticide doesn't damage flower, fruit, ornamental and fruit gardens. It protects your lawn grass for three months. Working with experienced lawn care professionals like those at Independent Lawn Services will help ensure the safety of your lawn. Give our team a call today to solve your lawn pest problem.