Surface Insect Control protects your lawn from harm. The general rule for lawn care is that a healthy lawn is not very susceptible to disease. Routine yearly aerations, a consistent fertilization schedule and appropriate watering provides a lawn with optimal conditions for thriving. A healthy person is less likely to get sick, the same goes for plants. Sometimes a simple change in the weather pattern can activate swarms of pests.
While your lawn is thriving it becomes a habitable environment for pests who enjoy munching on healthy shoots of the grass. These pests live above the soil so any treatments that have been performed on the lawn with intent of soil penetration will not help a lawn that has been overrun with surface insects.
There are regulations that limit preventative applications of surface insect control. They can’t be done preemptively and can only be applied once an infestation is sighted. With Erbert Lawns’ Weed Wipe-Out & Fertilization Program you will have our Lawn Specialist’s eyes on your lawn every month. These experts will easily be able to identify any changes they notice in your lawn, including the early stages of insect damage. This will keep Lawn Lovers informed on their lawn’s health and prevent the destruction that comes with pests. If a small portion of a lawn is damaged from surface pests then it will likely heal on its own once the pests are removed. Large patches of dead grass in the aftermath of an invasion will need to be replaced with new seed or sod.
Different types of pests that can be controlled by Surface Insect Control:
Chinch bugs:
These are the most common pest that eats grass. These buggers are bad news. They pierce their way into the grass blade. Then they proceed to drain the blade of any moisture while leaving their toxin behind. They are teeny, an adult Chinch Bug is only 1/8 th of an inch. The havoc they wreak is often misdiagnosed as a common lawn disease and lawns go misdiagnosed until it’s too late. This is why it is important to know what you’re looking for when analyzing damage in a lawn. Trained lawn experts are extremely beneficial when discovering dead patches in your lawn.
Sod Webworm:
They are the second most common lawn pest that eats grass. Their name comes from their ability to produce silk like material. Rather than drain the moisture, these pests devour the blade itself. Lawns that have been affected by Sod Webworms have areas where the grass looks scalped.
Armyworms:
They are generally 1.5-2 inches in length. They are called armyworms because they travel in an army together devouring food sources, including lawns, in a strategic manner and move very quickly. The aftermath of an armyworm infestation is big yellow patches of grass that look like they have been run over with a steam roller. Once done with the larvae stage this pest will turn into a moth.
Bluegrass Billbugs:
They primarily choose Kentucky Bluegrass as their hos, the most common lawn type in Colorado, they also attack Perennial Ryegrass and Fescue. These guys are only slightly bigger than chinch bugs with an adult measuring at 3/8 ths of an inch. They appear as a black or brown weevil with a long snout.
Hunting Billbug:
These are not typically seen on Colorado lawns. These pests prefer zoysia grass and bermudagrass. They are larger than the Bluegrass Billbugs but not by much. Hunting Billbugs do have some distinct markings as well. Overall they are very similar to the other Billbugs we have talked about here,
What about grubs?
Grubs live beneath the soil. Lawn Surface Insect Control only aids the removal of bugs living above the soil. Grubs can also be controlled, but with a different type of treatment.
Call or text Erbert Lawns for all your lawn care needs! 303-948-6631
