How Can I Get Rid Of The Insects That Attack My Lawn?

Are the insects making bare or ragged patches in the turf?

Have the grass blades been yellowed, and the turf has thinned and browned?

Are the insects making yellow or brown patches in the turf?

Are the insects causing yellowed round patches on the lawn?

Is the grass chewed?

Are the insects causing irregular streaks of brown grass on the turf?

Are the insects causing small, irregular dead spots on your lawn?

Armyworms are greenish-brown caterpillars with white stripes and black heads that chew grass blades down to the crowns, leaving bare areas or ragged patches of grass. Spray affected areas with parasitic nematodes while larvae are still feeding. Spray feeding larvae with BTK. Remove dead areas of turf. Reseed and overseed with resistant grasses such as the endophyte-containing cultivars.

Mites are tiny spider-like insects that suck sap from grass blades causing them to turn yellow or straw-colored. They thrive on poorly fed lawns and during dry conditions. Improve fertility and keep lawns well-watered during dry spells. For serious infestations, spray with insecticidal soap.

Billbugs larvae are white grubs with yellow-brown heads that feed on grass stems, causing shoots to turn brown and die. Control grubs by aerating the lawn, watering deeply, removing thatch, and adding organic matter. Reseed or overseed with resistant endophyte-containing cultivars.

Chinch bugs are small insects with dark bodies and a black triangular pad between white, folded wings. They suck plant sap, causing the grass to turn yellow and die off in patches. Encourage native predators, including bigeyed bugs, minute pirate bugs, lacewings, ladybugs, and birds. To control chinch bugs in small lawns, soak sod with soapy water, then lay a flannel sheet over the grass to snare the bugs as they are driven out. Pick up the sheet and kill the chinch bugs inside.

Grasshoppers are common insects that chew on grass, but usually aren't a serious threat to lawns. Broadcast Nosema locustae spores mixed in a bran bait as soon as grasshoppers emerge in spring: Effects of this measure usually aren't realized until the second summer after application.

Mole crickets are brown insects with short forelegs and shovel-like feet. They are serious lawn pests in the South. The crickets tunnel under the lawn and feed on grass roots. Apply parasitic nematodes and water the soil well before and after application, or apply milky disease spores.

Sod webworms sever grass blades just above the thatch line and pull the blades into a silken tunnel in the ground to eat. Control webworms by saturating infested areas with a soap drench to drive the larvae to the surface. Rake the pests into a pile and dump them into a bucket of soapy water. Apply BTK or drench the soil with parasitic nematodes when pests are in their larval stage for prevention.

If the turf is thinning, turning yellow and dying search below ground for the curved, fat, whiteish larvae of Japanese beetles or any other pest beetle species. Apply milky disease spores that will eliminate Japanese beetle grubs over a few seasons. Apply the material in late spring or fall when the soil temperature is at least 70°F. Apply predatory nematodes to control both Japanese beetle grubs and other white grubs. Water the soil well before and after application to improve results.