Lawn Insect Treatment
- White grubs naturally live in the soil, but too many of them can harm lawn roots and attract moles and other rodents, according to the University of Tennessee. Grubs live in all types of grass. Ants live in grass, create unsightly anthills and even bite people. Cinch bugs and false cinch bugs suck juice out of grass blades, according to the University of Minnesota. They cause significant damage to lawns if their populations get high enough.
- Many people want to immediately turn to insecticides as a lawn insect treatment, but the EPA warns that pesticides often cause environmental and health problems. Therefore, gardeners should use pesticides only according to their directions and should use them only when insect problems get bad enough to destroy the lawn.
- Preventing pest infestations and creating a less attractive lawn environment for them is better than having to remove large bug populations after a lawn gets severely infested. The University of California advises that proper lawn care---including irrigation, fertilizer, aeration and reducing thatch---helps prevent many types of pests.
- Once a lawn does have an insect problem, a common symptom is dead or dying grass, according to the University of California. Lawns also get discolored spots and weakened roots from insect problems. If a lawn has any of these symptoms and does not appear to have a fungal problem, the gardener should search the grass blades and soil beneath the lawn for insects.
- Biological insect control harms the environment less than harsh chemical pesticides. The University of California recommends biological controls that contain bacteria that only harm pests, like bacillus thuringiensis or beneficial nematodes. Gardeners can also introduce other bugs to eat pests, such as ladybugs to eat aphids, as recommended by the National Gardening Association.
- Insects harm lawns less when grass grows densely enough to withstand some munching by insects. The University of California suggests fertilizing lawns to stimulate growth and make insect damage negligible.
- Use insecticides as a last resort when biological control and lawn management techniques do not cure an insect infestation. The University of Minnesota explains that sod webworms may require insecticide treatment to prevent them from destroying turf. When using an insecticide, use the minimum amount required so that extra chemicals do not leach into groundwater. Do not water the lawn for a few days after applying the insecticide so that it does not get washed away before it has a chance to work. Keep pets and small children off of the sprayed area so that they do not accidentally ingest harmful chemicals.
