Homeowners who take pride in their outdoor spaces know that maintaining a healthy lawn is paramount. However, even the healthiest lawns can encounter common problems, such as pests that can invade the vitality of the grass and threaten its health.
A pest infestation can lead to brown patches, weakened turf, and, if left unattended, dead grass.
Throughout this article, Purple Care lawn maintenance experts will go through 5 common lawn pests and ways to protect your outdoor spaces for a lush, healthy lawn.
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White Grubs
White grubs are the larval stage of various beetles, including Japanese and June beetles. They are usually C-shaped, have a creamy white body and brown head, and measure about 1 inch long.
These common pests feed on your yard’s roots, which typically leads to wilting and brown patches that can feel spongy underfoot. Affected areas may detach easily from the soil, often resembling a rolled-back carpet.
What are some of the management strategies?
Some of the most common management strategies include:
- Cultural practices: This includes maintaining a healthy grass through proper watering and fertilization that enhances root growth.
- Natural predators: This strategy introduces beneficial nematodes that specifically target grubs without harming the environment.
- Chemical control: This method involves using insecticides specifically formulated for grubs and applying them in the late summer or early fall when grubs are the most vulnerable.
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Chinch Bugs
Chinch bugs are small insects of about ⅙ inch long, with black bodies and white wings. Nymphs are red to orange before maturing into maturing.
These pesky intruders can pierce your grass blades as they suck out all the juices. That causes yellowing and wilting that often mimics drought stress for your grass. Their damage usually starts in sunny areas and can spread rapidly.
What are some of the management strategies?
Some of the most common management strategies for chinch bugs include the following:
- Insecticidal treatments: The use of insecticides during the early stages of infestation when nymphs are present in your outdoors.
- Water management: This includes proper irrigation practices — as stressed lawns are more susceptible to chinch bug damage.
- Monitoring: This involves regularly inspecting your lawn for any signs of these pesky intruders, checking for the already mentioned yellow patches, and looking closely between grass blades.
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Sod Webworms
Apart from white grubs and chinch bugs, another common pest issue for homeowners is sod webworms. These webworm larvae are tiny caterpillars that vary in color — from light tan to greenish-brown. Adult sod webworms resemble small moths with a wingspan of about ½ to ¾ inch.
These intruders can damage your lawn by creating silk burrows in the thatch layer and feeding on your grass leaves at night. This infestation can lead to significant lawn damage, especially in the summer, when the population of these webworms is at its peak.
What are some of the management strategies?
Some of the most common management strategies against these pesky intruders include:
- Biological control: Introducing natural predators — such as parasitic wasps.
- Insecticides: This involves applying insecticides during the larval stage when they are actively feeding.
- Cultural control: Maintaining a healthy lawn by relying on regular mowing and watering practices.
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Armyworms
Armyworm larvae are soft-bodied caterpillars that can grow up to 1.5 inches long, with distinctive stripes along their backs.
These infectious pests can damage your lawns in large numbers — consuming grass blades rapidly. Their feeding can lead to great damage, especially if not addressed quickly and effectively.
What are some of the management strategies?
Some of the most effective management strategies against these pests include the following:
- Insecticide application: This involves using insecticides that mainly target armyworms as soon as they are detected on your lawn.
- Early detection: Regularly monitor your lawn for signs of armyworms and their activity — such as clusters of eggs and droppings.
- Cultural practices: This includes implementing lawn care practices to promote vigorous grass growth that can withstand pest damage caused by armyworms.
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Leather Jackets (Crane Fly Larvae)
Crane fly larvae, a.k.a leather jackets, feed on grass roots. They resemble large maggots and can measure about 1 to 2 inches long.
These pests feed on grass roots, like many of the grass-enemies mentioned above. They cause patches of dead or dying grass. Lawns affected by these pests show signs of wilting and an overall decline in health.
What are some of the management strategies?
Some of the most effective management strategies for these pests include:
- Insecticidal treatments: This method involves applying insecticides targeted at leather jackets — during their active feeding stages.
- Natural controls: Such as encouraging birds and other wildlife that prey on these pests by creating a hospitable environment.
- Soil aeration: Regular lawn aeration can keep leather jackets away from your yard.
Conclusion
Overall, understanding common lawn pests and ways they can damage your lawn is essential for homeowners who take pride in their outdoors. Some of the most common intruders include white grubs, chinch bugs, sod webworms, armyworms, and leather jackets.
Regular monitoring and encouraging homeowners to include proactive care against these pests can help your lawn stay vibrant and healthy throughout the year.