Are annoying pests, insects, or rodents wreaking havoc on your lawn? If so, here's some advice that should help you find the best way to get rid of anything that is ruining the natural beauty of your lawn.
As soon as you notice critters or the evidence they leave behind, you have to take action. Every creature, however, has to be handled differently.
Armyworms. Caterpillars that attack in large clusters, these guys eat grass and leave circular patches behind. The armyworm measures about 1 1/2 inches long, and has green, tan, or black stripes on its back. Look out for these insects from spring through late summer.
Luckily, this critter is easy to control naturally through prevention. Keep your lawn well-maintained by feeding and watering it on a regular basis. It's also a good idea to apply a slow-release ureaformadelhyde to keep caterpillars controlled. In serious cases, you may have to use Diazinon to quickly eradicate the problem.
Billbugs. Black or reddish in color, these insects measure approximately 1/4 to 3/4 inches in length. They use their long snout to chew holes in grass stems. In addition, they deposit eggs in the grass, which means the problem has the potential to grow over time. When the eggs hatch, the large larvae that escape begin to feed and puncture the stems and the crowns of the grass. This causes the grass to die in patches and breaks off individual grass blades at the soil line.
Control the adult beetles before they lay too many eggs by treating them with Diazinon or carbaryl. To rid your lawn of deposited larvae, apply treatment at the beginning of summer so that adult billbugs are not given the chance to develop.
Chinch Bugs. Adults are identified by their black bodies, white wings, and red legs. They start off very small but can grow to 1/8-inch long as adults. Chinch bugs love dry and sunny areas for feeding. They feed throughout their life and leave behind ugly, large yellow or brown patches as they make their way across your lawn.
Like caterpillars, these insects don't do very well on lawns that have been properly fed. However, if you do have an infestation, you can get rid of these creatures in June and August with Diazinon or carbaryl.
Cutworms. Part of the caterpillar family, these insects are gray or brown in color and can grow up to two inches long. Their main feeding occurs at night - they hide under the grass during the day, using it as protection. These bugs mainly cause lawn problems by cutting the grass off at the soil line. Problems tend to materialize during the spring until late in the summer. Look for small dead spots on your lawn.
If cutworms have only damaged a small area of your lawn, simply control them by puddling water in the affected area to bring them to the surface. Once this is done, all you have to do is collect the bugs and then kill them. For larger problems pesticide application may be necessary.
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