Don’t let these critters tear up your prized lawn
Picture this: You’re admiring your vibrant, green lawn, then you spot a brown tuft of dead grass. As it turns out, you might have grass bugs that are harmful to your efforts to maintain the perfect lawn.
If you’ve kept up with watering, mowed to an appropriate height, and received positive soil tests, it’s time to look for bug suspects to solve your lawn problem. Here’s how to identify some of the most common bugs that kill grass.
Yellowing or wilted patches of grass are a common sign that insects are eating your grass. Unfortunately, there are multiple types of insects that eat grass, and many of them are difficult to spot right away. If left unaddressed, these critters can cause even worse damage to your grass than brown patches.
Here are common bugs that like to feast on your lawn and how to treat the issue.
When chinch bugs come to your yard, you may not even be able to spot them. These insects are small but mighty, and they feed on the moisture in grass. After feeding, they release saliva into the grass, preventing the grass from absorbing water. This type of infestation makes your lawn even more prone to drought.
Adult chinch bugs are about as long as the tip of a pencil, so you likely won’t see them. But they’ll make their presence known by leaving yellowing patches of grass that don’t revive after you water it.
To help prevent chinch bugs in the grass, dethatch the lawn every fall to keep them from laying eggs. If you’re already dealing with an infestation, apply a broad-spectrum insecticide containing trichlorfon bifenthrin or carbaryl to get rid of these insects.
Sod webworms are a type of moth larvae that feed on grass blades. These critters are about one inch long and brown or green with dark spots.
Sod webworms may leave your grass blades with jagged edges or turn grass blades into skeleton-like structures with just the plant veins remaining. Another indicator of a sod webworm problem is small, dead grass patches that slowly morph together into larger brown spots.
Regularly watering and fertilizing your lawn can help naturally deter sod webworms. If you are considering new grass seed, choose “endophyte-enhanced” options to prevent sod webworms. For an infestation, spray the lawn with the helpful bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis in the late afternoon before the sod webworms come out to feed on the grass.
These insects are a little larger than sod webworms, about one to two inches long, and they appear in many colors, including brown, black, gray, green, yellow, or pink. Their name fits them because these plump soldiers aren’t much trouble individually, but large populations can quickly decimate a lawn.
Circular brown patches of grass and grass with chewed-up edges are clear signs of armyworms. You might also see clusters of white eggs in the lawn. These critters may eat the grass blades and leaves of nearby plants, so watch for signs in your flower or veggie garden.
Treatment timing is critical because armyworms can lay hundreds of eggs per night and quickly move through the lawn on a warpath, eating your grass. Bacillus thuringiensis, neem oil, or pyrethrin, a natural pesticide that paralyzes armyworms, can help control armyworm overpopulation in your yard.
Cutworms are another grass menace that will cut the grass stem from its roots. These caterpillars are about two inches long with stripes along their bodies. Aside from chewing the grass away from its roots, cutworms will drag the grass with them as they burrow into your lawn, leaving dead patches and holes in their wake.
You will likely find dead spots of brown grass throughout your lawn, and when you kneel down for a closer look, there may be burrowed holes around the yard.
Soapy water can act as a pesticide for cutworms. You can either plunge cutworms into soapy water or use a spray bottle of water and a few tablespoons of dish soap on the grass. Rinse away the soapy water after a few hours. You can also try applying Bacillus thuringiensis to get rid of cutworms. Conventional pesticides will quickly wipe out these pests, but they can also kill off beneficial bugs in the grass, so use them in moderation.
When you think of a lawn, ants probably come to mind. If you’ve tried to have a picnic in the backyard, you’ve probably come across ants in your lawn. Ants are great for a healthy lawn, but ant overpopulation can lead to dry soil.
Ants are powerful critters that dig impressive tunnels, so it’s easy to see when they are taking over your lawn—there will be anthills all over the place.
Fortunately, you can use spot treatments to control excessive ants in your yard. You can use a commercial product designed for outdoor ant control. You can also combine water and dish soap in a spray bottle to spray affected areas. One popular treatment for ant control is to pour boiling water on and into the anthills, but be careful with this method, as the water can scald the grass.
Most bugs in grass only cause issues during the ultra-hungry larvae stage. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with pesky billbugs, which will destroy grass from egg to adulthood. These bugs chew up grass blades, lay eggs inside, and the hatched young eat the grass as they make their way into the world.
Billbugs may lead to irregular brown patches in your yard. Take a closer look: Pull at a handful of grass, and it will come up easily and create a powdery cloud similar to sawdust. Grass stems may also be hollow. You may also see huddles of the larvae around the base of the grass or in the topsoil.
To kill off billbugs, apply an insecticide formulated to kill off these insects in the spring and fall seasons. Alternatively, you can apply nematodes in early summer to help control billbugs. To prevent future infestations, dethatch your lawn in the fall, stick to proper watering and fertilizing throughout the year, and consider seeding your lawn with a billbug-resistant grass type.
Fleas are commonly associated with pet owners as traditional pets like dogs and cats are known to attract pests. However, fleas travel on any warm-blooded animal, which means if any wildlife traipses through your yard is likely to carry fleas. Deer, opossums, raccoons, stray cats, and other outdoor wildlife are typical culprits.
Flea bites on human or animal skin are the best indicator if you have fleas in your yard. The bite is smaller than a typical bug bite and if you notice these bites after spending time outdoors, that's likely where fleas are. While humans may notice some irritation at the bite site, pets will react differently. Your pet may scratch excessively and become restless with flea bites.
Nematodes, diatomaceous earth, eucalyptus, and cedar are effective natural flea repellents. To prevent fleas from making a home in your yard, maintain your landscape by keeping the grass and bushes neatly trimmed. This method prevents the area from becoming a happy home for fleas.
A menacing bug that resembles a bee, hornets can make enjoying outdoor spaces threatening. Hornets take up residence in trees or awnings outdoors and will become angry defending their space.
Aside from seeing hornets when you're outdoors, you'll likely notice a hornet's nest. Their nests are a light brown, paper and are commonly built on awnings, eaves, or tree branches.
If you need to remove a hornet's nest, it's best to handle this task at dawn or nighttime since hornets are more active during daylight hours. Wear thick clothing, long sleeves, and protection on your eyes and face. If you are allergic to hornets or have a large infestation, hire a local exterminator to keep yourself safe.
Wasps pollinate on nearly any flower, and if you have flowers in your yard, it's likely to attract them. This outdoor pest is also attracted to areas that provide shelter or food sources.
Similar to hornets, wasps build nests in your yard in trees and awnings or eaves of your home. Wasps will try to attack you or your family when outdoors if they feel threatened. If you don't see their nest, there is likely one close by that you'll need to search for.
Wasps are notoriously more dangerous than bees, and treating them requires even more careful attention than hornets. Whether you're allergic or not, getting stung by enough wasps could result in serious health risks. If you wish to remove a wasp nest on your own, wearing a protective suit is your best bet. Either way, you'll want to wear plenty of protective, thick clothing to cover your face and body.
As tiny as a single grain of rice, leafhoppers are small insects that simultaneously feed on plants and inject toxins. Any damage leafhoppers cause is minimal at best, so they tend to be rather harmless. The bugs are more of a nuisance than anything else.
It's difficult to easily identify lawn damage caused by a leafhopper as it's incredibly minimal. You usually won't know if you have leafhoppers in your yard until you complete some landscaping, such as mowing. They will begin moving when there is activity on the lawn. Another sign they're nearby is if you notice an influx of their predators, such as ants, ladybugs, or spiders.
Maintaining a healthy lawn is a proactive way to deter leafhoppers. If you're looking to get rid of the pests, broad-spectrum insecticides are effective or you can try using neem oil as a natural solution.
Leatherjackets are the larvae of daddy long legs, also referred to as crane flies. While daddy long legs aren't hazardous to your yard, the larvae can cause some damage. Leatherjackets feed on the roots of grass for about 10 months out of the year before they transform into adults.
As leatherjackets feed, they weaken your lawn. Changes in the weather can do the same thing, and if the weather has been particularly rough, the combination of both can give your lawn a brown appearance. Another sign of leatherjackets is a result of predators searching for the pests. Animals like hedgehogs and moles enjoy eating leatherjackets and will dig holes to get to them.
Leatherjackets can be difficult to remove, but the most effective way is to use nematodes. The downside is that purchasing enough nematodes to treat your lawn can be expensive, especially if you have a large property. To prevent leatherjackets, consider using soil with light acidity. Acidic soil deters daddy long legs from laying eggs, keeping leatherjackets at bay.
Crickets tend to be an issue for people living in Southeastern states in the U.S. as they prefer warm-season grass such as Bahia or Bermuda grass. Crickets cause quite a bit of lawn damage by disturbing the soil, eating grass or its roots, and uprooting the grass to make tunnels.
The most common type of damage crickets cause is tunneling. While these holes are small, they typically leave visible lines in the grass or soil. Another frequent sign is a hole that has a pile of dirt on top. There's usually a small opening on the top and is dug for the crickets to lay eggs.
Getting rid of crickets requires a simple, natural elimination method. Mix together soapy water and spray the area you suspect crickets are calling home. Feel free to drench the area with the solution to eliminate them.
One of the most annoying outdoor bugs, mosquitoes wreak havoc when you spend time outside. Mosquito bites can be irritating, and the insects are known for carrying diseases. Female mosquitoes are the culprits for the bites as they need the protein in your blood to lay eggs.
A tell-tale sign you have a mosquito problem is if you've gotten bit by one. In some cases, you'll feel the bite when it happens or you find yourself swatting the bug away as you're outside. Other times, you may not know a mosquito bit you until the bite appears later.
Mosquito repellents such as citronella candles or lamps can work to deter the bugs, but not completely. The mosquito will do whatever it can to get what they need, so it might hold them off a bit, but not completely. The best way to get rid of mosquitoes is to eliminate their breeding ground. Mosquitoes like standing water, so keep your gutters clean and remove standing water to create an inhospitable environment.
Commonly found in gardens or near crops, snails are harmless to humans but can cause damage to plants. These garden pests leave behind a slimy residue and feed on flowers, fruits, leaves, and other vegetation.
Aside from catching the snail in your garden, you'll know the pests are near if you find a slimy residue near your plants. The residue will feel sticky to the touch. You may notice holes in leaves or food that snails have chewed.
Bait and traps are effective at ridding your garden and yard of snails. Beer and grape juice are both perfect for baiting snails by pouring the liquid into a bowl to leave out. Snails will be attracted to it, crawl in, and ultimately drown. For natural snail traps, use citrus peels in the garden.
While slugs share many similarities with snails, they tend to feed on grass and plant leaves rather than typical garden vegetation. The bugs are attracted to wet, soggy areas and mulch, and will cause damage in their wake.
You'll know slugs are nearby if your leaves have been damaged and a slimy, mucus trail is present. The bite marks on the leaves will appear as a scalloped border based on how a slug eats, making it easy to identify.
A great way to rid your lawn of slugs is to introduce animals that eat them. Frogs, birds, and squirrels all eat slugs. Or, you can use nematodes as a natural solution that doesn't invite additional critters. Slugs also like large stones or wood, so if you have anything like that throughout your yard, remove them.
Ticks tend to travel on warm-blooded animals to end up in your yard. If you have pets or wildlife nearby, they are likely transporting these pests. A tick bite carries many health risks, and you should visit the doctor immediately if you spot a tick bite on your body.
Tick bites on humans are very distinctive with a bullseye. The center of the bullseye indicates the location the tick burrowed its head. The site is also known to develop a scab with a dark appearance. If your pet has a tick bite, it will likely display behavioral changes, such as irritability or restlessness.
To treat ticks in your yard, use natural solutions such as apple cider vinegar, diatomaceous earth, neem oil, or nematodes. If your yard is messy with overgrown grass and plants, it creates an attractive home for ticks, so maintain the landscaping to deter pests.
If you’ve exhausted your own methods to no avail in removing grass bugs, it’s time to bring in the pros. Contact a trusted lawn pest control expert near you to help you confirm the issue and bring in the right treatment that will banish those pesky insects.
Kate Fann contributed to this piece.
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