Aug 31, 2021 | Pest Control
Are you noticing patchy areas of brown grass throughout your yard? This could be a sign that you have armyworms! While armyworms themselves are small, if found in large groups they can cause considerable damage to your lawn.
A type of caterpillar and a larva of moths, armyworms are striped with green, brown, and yellow colors. These pests will mostly feed on grass, plants, and vegetables. While one armyworm won’t cause significant damage, if they do end up multiplying, it can be tough to eradicate once they’ve infested the plants or grass. It’s important to know the signs of armyworms and the steps to prevent them from destroying your yard.
Signs of Armyworms
The first step in prevention is looking for signs that you have lawn and plant damage. Keep an eye out for patchy areas on your lawn that are turning brown. Brown spots in your yard are a major sign that your grass is being eaten by armyworms. Additionally, if armyworms are active on your property, you might see more birds, as well, as they will eat armyworms as a food source. You can also find these pests in their adult form as brown moths with a white spot on each wing. You can usually spot them feeding on nearby plants.
How to Prevent Armyworms
Preventing armyworms is easier than you think. Making sure that your grass is well-maintained with a good lawn care routine can help. Ensure that your grass is short by regularly mowing, frequently watering lawn and plants, and providing necessary nutrients for healthy green grass. It could be beneficial to consider reaching out to your local lawn care company or pest control provider who can provide you with an effective lawn care plan to help prevent armyworms and recommend effective products.
Apr 14, 2020 | Lawn Care
As the temperatures rise, you may catch yourself spending more time outside with friends and family. When you’re enjoying the warmer weather, the last thing you want to worry about is seeing your lawn with brown splotches. Unfortunately, there are certain pests that can cause a great deal of damage by feeding on your grass.
The White Grub is a particular pest that will destroy your lawn. These six-legged insects are small, white, and “C” shaped. A good indicator that you might have these bugs is seeing additional beetles in your yard. When they infest, they will destroy your grass roots, and as a result, it weakens the area infested. If your grass has ever been easy to lift out of the ground, it’s due to the white grub.
Another insect that can damage your lawn is the Sod Webworm or the larvae of Lawn Moths. Sod Webworms live in the roots of your lawn and will eat the grass leaves. A good indication that you have these pests is noticing that brown patches are continuing to grow throughout your yard. To spot sod webworms, you can also look for them at the root level of grass where you’ll be able to see small white tubes made of a silky web. Sod Webworms are about ¼ – ¾ inch long and gray to tan with small dark spots on the body with brown heads.
A third bug you should be aware of is the Billbug. These bugs are known to chew holes into grass blades, deposit eggs inside, and feed off grass. With a long, curved, bill-like snout, billbugs can grow up to ½ inch in length. These bugs look very similar to a white grub; however, white grubs have legs while billbugs do not. After laying their eggs, the larvae will hatch and begin to eat the grass from inside out from the root to the tips. A clear sign that you may have billbugs in your yard is grass that breaks off at the soil line and has lots of powdery sawdust-like excrement.
If you’ve noticed any of these signs in your yard, it might be time to contact a professional lawn care company who can inspect the damage and provide you with a lawn care plan so that you can enjoy your yard more with this upcoming warmer weather.
