Lawn Insects

Once you identify your lawn pests, you can eliminate them.

Georgia lawns and grasses provide a feast for hungry varmits. Arm yourself with enough knowledge to beat them off at the path!

There are four groups of lawn insects: those that infest soil and roots; those that feed on leaves and stems; those that suck plant juices; and those that live in the lawn but don't damage it. The hardest part of controlling these insects is identifying them.

The insects that infest the soil:

Those that infest soil and roots, includes grubs, ants, mole crickets and bees.

Grubs…

Grubs are the larvae of several species of beetles. Either white or gray, they have brown heads and brown or black hind parts… usually C-shaped with three distinct pairs of legs.

Grubs spend about ten months of the year in the ground. They burrow around the roots of the grass and feed on roots about an inch below the surface of the soil.

You can estimate the size of the grub population. Using a spade, cut a strip of grass one foot square. Cut the square two-to-three inches deep on three sides. Then, force the spade under the sod and lay it back, loosen the soil and count the grubs. You'll need to do this in several areas of the yard. If you count as many as six grubs per square foot, you need to control them.

Ants…

Ants build nests in the soil. Some ants, like fire ants, build mounds. Others form little hills or mounds of soil around the openings to the nest. Ants can destroy the roots of grass if they build the nests around them because the nesting tends to dry out the soil. Ants also destroy grass seed in the soil and prevent it from sprouting and producing grass.

Mole crickets…

Mole crickets also infest soil. They're brown, about an inch-and-a half long, have short, stout forelegs, shovel-like feet, and large eyes. Mole crickets feed on the roots of grass and their burrowing uproots seedlings and causes the soil to dry out quickly.

Bees and wasps…

Wild bees and solitary wasps are more of a nuisance than a problem in lawns. Where infestations are heavy they may interfere with growth of grass, particularly in new plantings. Wild bees and solitary wasps dig holes in the soil for nests and pile the soil around the openings. They're primarily a pest in sandy soils.

Those that feed on the lawn…

The second group includes caterpillars, cutworms, armyworms, and sod webworms.

All of these insects damage the lawn by feeding on the grass and cutting the grass. The damage may be in various spots in the lawn or may cover the entire yard. This is probably the most destructive group of insects because a heavy infestation can completely destroy a yard in a matter of days.

Those insects which suck juice are the chinch bugs.

These pests injure plants by draining them of their life fluids.

All stages of these insects, except the egg, injure plants. The damage appears as yellow spots which grow rapidly, turn brown and die. St. Augustine grass is the main victim of chinch bugs and suffers most in hot, dry weather.

Those insects which get in lawns but don't damage them include slugs, snails, earwigs, fleas, ticks, chiggers, millipedes, centipedes, sowbugs or pillbugs and spiders. All of these insects feed on organic matter or other insects in the lawn or other animals which cross the lawn.

For more information on lawn insects; contact your local County Extension Office.