Insect Damage and Control
Outnumbered, but not Outsmarted
With an estimated 40 million insects in a typical acre, it's impossible to completely eradicate them. And that's good, as most insects are considered beneficial because they eat other harmful insects and provide food for birds and other animals. Therefore, identifying turf-damaging insects and controlling them selectively is the best strategy.
Most insects only damage grass at certain points during their life cycle. Once the pest has been identified, the best approach is to control it at the insect's most susceptible life stage, which is usually during the immature or larval stage. |
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| Keep in mind that an insect problem usually (but not always) occurs as a result of a breakdown in proper lawn maintenance. Stressed grass is more predisposed to insect invasion. Healthy lawns can coexist with a higher level of insect invasion, so check mowing, fertilizing, irrigation and cultivation practices before resorting to pesticides, as these were likely contributing to the problem, and will contribute the next time as well. |
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Common Culprits
Turf-damaging insects can attack three different areas in a lawn: the upper leaf surface, at the thatch/soil interface or underneath the turf in the soil. Insects above ground are either chewing grass blades or sucking fluids from plant parts. If they are underground, they are feeding on roots. Three of the most common turf-damaging insects include grubs, chinch bugs mole crickets. Bermuda grass is virtually immune to insect damage except white grubs.
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GRUBS
Grubs are the larval stage of various beetles. Most are C-shaped and feed on the roots of various plants. Grub heads are brown; their hind end is a dark gray color and covered with hairs (used for identification).
Lawn grubs are usually one of three types -- annual white (from June beetles), true, and aetenius. The annual white types typically cause the most problems. |
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Annual white grubs emerge as adults in late June, depending on weather conditions. Eggs are laid in moist soil, near sidewalks or driveways or under night lights around the fourth of July. Eggs hatch during the first week or so in August. Grubs feed on grass roots.
Large, dead patches in late summer may be an indication of grubs. Only inspection under the dead turf can indicate grub presence. Control may be necessary if twelve to fourteen grubs per square foot are found in an actively growing lawn. If the lawn is dormant or less than active or dormant, fewer grubs may be
needed to cause noticeable injury to the turf. |
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| Dead grass killed by grubs comes up "like carpet" if pulled. Effective control can only be accomplished if treated early in their development cycle (usually late July to August). Once the grubs become full size (early spring) it’s usually too late to control them. Grubs frequent the best looking lawns, which tend to be more suitable for egg laying. |
Mole Crickets
Mole crickets tunnel through soil like their mammal counterpart. This tunneling breaks up the soil around turf roots and the turfgrass often dies due to desiccation. The tunneling trails are themselves considered unsightly and interfere with ball roll on golf course greens. During mating and overwintering, the adults often push up mounds of soil around their permanent burrows. At this time, the adults are not feeding extensively enough to kill large patches of turf. Severe damage occurs in the
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summer months when the nymphs are actively feeding on the turfgrass roots. Heavy infestations during this period may result in large dead patches and exposed soil. St. Augustine grass does not show as severe a response to mole crickets, possibly because of its different growth habit. |
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Chinch Bugs
The southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis, is one of the most important insect pests of St. Augustine-grass in Texas. Although most damaging in Gulf Coast regions and in the southern half of the state, chinch bugs can be a problem anywhere St. Augustine grass is grown.
Expanding, irregular patches of dead or stunted grass surrounded by a halo of
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yellowing, dying grass often provide the first clue to the presence of chinch bugs. These islands of dying grass tend to increase in size and merge as insect numbers increase. Damage can develop rapidly, especially in sunny locations during hot, dry weather.
Chinch bug damage can be confused with certain lawn diseases or other physiological disorders. Brown patch is a common disease affecting the leaf blades of St. Augustine grass. Brown patch symptoms, however, usually occur in a circular or semi-circular pattern, as opposed to the irregular-shaped areas of dead and dying grass that result from chinch bug feeding. |
| Chinch bug damage also can be difficult to distinguish from that caused by drought. Detection of significant numbers of the insects themselves is the best proof that chinch bugs are the cause of the damage. |
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| Control of chinch bugs starts with proper lawn care. Keeping thatch to a minimum, for example, reduces chinch bug numbers and makes other control methods more effective. Thatch is the layer of dead plant material found between the green tops of the grass plant and the soil below. Thatch provides a protective home for chinch bugs, and chemically binds with many insecticides, making such controls less effective. |
St. Augustine grass lawns should be watched closely during the summer for signs of drought stress. The lawn should be watered immediately when edges of grass blades begin to curl, grass fails to spring back quickly when walked on, or the turf takes on a dull bluish-gray color. Due to the variety of soil types and depths in Texas, the amount of water needed will vary. Whenever possible, apply enough water to wet the soil profile to a depth of approximately 6 inches and let it dry out between irrigations. Frequent watering promotes shallow root systems in St. Augustine-grass, making it more susceptible to injury by chinch bugs.
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Fire Ants
Fire Ants can be identified by their reddish color and small size (1/8 to 1/4 inch long). Most people identify them from their fiery sting that will result in a small bump or pustule on the skin. They will rapidly swarm the mound if it is disturbed in an effort to protect their queen.
Fire Ants infest many different areas. They |
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| can be found anywhere where there's an abundance of food which includes other insects, oil from seeds, meats, grease, or similar food sources. They liquefy the food and return it to the colony to feed their young and the queen. They go in search of food when temperatures reach 70 or more and can journey up to 100' from their nest. |
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Controlling Fire Ants is often a larger task than most homeowners can handle. This is especially true with extensive infestations. Worker ants build a complex of underground tunnels. If the mound is disturbed, they move the queen to another location and set up a new nest.
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| The Arlington Lawn Ranger is trained in insect diagnosis an treatment. If you feel you may have a problem with insects, or diseases, please feel free to give us a call or request a bid and we will be happy to discuss it with you. |
Call us today at (817) 709-1695 to set up an appointment for a free estimate and experience The Lawn Ranger difference! |
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