Chinch Bugs
Like something out of a horror film, chinch bugs are known to drink the fluid out of grass blades and then replace it with poison that eventually kills the grass. They’re most commonly found in the southern United States and can cause a great deal of damage to your lawn if not eradicated. Due to the manner in which chinch bugs drain your grass, they tend to leave your yard looking as if it has been underwatered. As your grass dies the chinch bugs will move on to a new, green section of grass slowly creating a larger patch of brown grass in your yard.
Mole Crickets
Have you ever seen a mole cricket up close? They look just like you imagine they would. A cricket body, with mole-like hands in the front, that they use to burrow into the ground. In fact, it’s this burrowing and tunneling behavior that ends up killing your grass. As they dig underneath your turf they inevitably disrupt the root system causing enough damage to kill the plant. And like their namesake they can be identified by the piles of soil they leave on the surface.
Sod Webworms
These worms are actually larvae that eventually turn into moths. And it’s the larvae form, not the moth form that causes damage to your grass. The sod webworms eat grass leaves at night and then burrow into the soil at night. If you have an infestation you’ll first notice brown patches in your grass where it appears that the blades have been eaten down to the dirt, they have. If you think you may have a sod webworm problem, keep your eye out for moths flying around your grass in the evenings.
Lawn care is already difficult without the help of unwanted pests. But the best way to get ahead of a pest problem is to be able to spot and diagnose the issue early on. If you find yourself struggling to win the fight against these pests, call us today and make an appointment with a lawn care professional.
