Even the most pristine and well-manicured lawns sometimes need a helping hand in the war against insects and disease. Fortunately, for the homeowner companies like Pestcontrolmd.com are available to help. Here are some common and bothersome lawn pests and ways to identify and control them.
* Worms -; Armyworms and cutworms are the main varieties of worms to be concerned about. Not to be confused with the average earthworm, which is actually very beneficial. Armyworms will be prevalent in early spring when the ground is moist and cool. Armyworms are a greenish-brown with lighter stripes on their sides and back. Additionally, there is a stripe that ends up forming an inverted “y” on their head. Cutworms are blackish and nearly always coiled into a circle when exposed. Bacillus thuringie NSIS, or Bt, is a ground-dwelling bacterium effective as a biological control. Other methods of control are pyrethrin-based insecticides and beneficial nematodes.
* Billbugs -; Both billbug larvae and adults feed on grass. The larvae are white with an orange head and feed on the roots. The adults are black with long snouts and feed on grass stems. They can be found by examining the outer edge of dead spots in the grass. Lawn Treatment consists of aeration and reseeding using grass containing endophytes. Endophytes are actually a fungus that does not harm the grass but is extremely distasteful or poisonous to grass eating insects like billbugs.
* Grubs -; These are the larvae form of scarab (chafer) beetles. Grubs feed on the roots of the grass resulting in large patches of dead grass. A telltale sign is if the grass can be easily lifted up, almost like a rug. The presence of moles is a good indicator of grubs as they are a delicacy for moles. The appearance of numerous birds, raccoons, opossums, and skunks is another sign. Organic control with predatory nematodes works well as do insecticides with carbaryl or trichlorfon.
Lawn Treatment products are applied at the rate of more than 70 million pounds annually by homeowners in the United States. That is a lot of chemicals put into the environment that may possibly find their way into the water systems of lakes, rivers, and well water. Organic methods like the use of predatory nematodes, flies, or ladybugs will keep many undesirable insects in check. The results will not be seen as quickly as when using insecticides, but future generations will thank you for it.
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