Two types of pests can harm a lawn, such as insects and cute animals. Insects can affect grasses’ health by feeding on the grass and roots like chinch bugs, ants, larvae, and more. Animals that hang out around the lawn can damage leaf blades and roots as well. There are effective ways to get rid of these pests quickly and effectively.
Insects
Ants Pest
Ants are social insects that thrive in a community called the colony. Inside a colony, there might be one or two queens that lead the whole community of ants. An ant infestation can damage the root system since they live deep within the soil. They can also create deep holes around the lawn and even go inside the house and invade your kitchen, mostly leftover foods.
The best method to eliminate this pest is to destroy the colony and kill the queen. A colony of ants is very easy to find by tracing and observing ant’s behavior around the lawn. Ants are commonly found in lawns as they love to feed on dead insects and flower nectars. Another way is to place bait known as protein bait, as ants love to feed on carbohydrates and protein-rich foods. Ants are also very damaging, like chinch bugs.
Chinch Bugs
These chinch bugs are tiny bugs with black and brown with two distinguished white marks on their bodies. Despite their small size, they can damage a lawn as they suck saps from grasses and leave brown patches. In the case of infestation, then the entire lawn might die. Most of the time, they infect sunny areas around the lawn and thrive when the temperature is more than 20°C. The feeding time can happen between July to August.
To stop these bugs from infecting the lawn, you need to always check the grass’s condition by inspecting the grass base to look for signs. If you are unsure, then you can put a cylinder on the affected area using a can. Take away the top and bottom of the can, push one end into the soil, and fill it with water. The chinch bugs will float on top of the water. You may treat it with nematodes for small infestation, but it is not good for entire lawn infestation.
European Crane Fly Larvae
If you see a mosquito-like insect around your lawn, it is a crane fly that is not very harmful to the lawn, but the grub stage is very destructive. These larvae like to feed on grassroots and leaf blades during spring to fall. They thrive deep within the soil and will resurface by June as Cranefly. The cranefly lives for just one week to reproduce and die once they have already laid eggs. In a matter of 15 days, all eggs will hatch and multiply again.
The best time to hunt and kill the larvae is during the middle of October and spring season, and like chinch bugs, you can treat it with nematodes for small infestation.
Mole Cricket Pest
Like chinch bugs, a mole cricket is also one of the most damaging pests to a lawn as they thrive within the soil to eat a dead insect, decaying plants, and the root system of grasses. An infected lawn develops spongy leaves with brown patches. The most common method to eliminate mole cricket is through insecticide application. Overwatering the lawn can also invite this pest as they love to stay in moist soil.
Animals
Rabbits
Aside from chinch bugs, some rabbits like to feed on your lawn every year, you can try planting plants to keep them away. These repelling plants are daylilies, amaryllis, foxgloves, English ivy, and more. Also, rabbits do not like a particular type of tree-like cedar, oak, magnolia, spruce, and maple.
Rats
Rats will thrive around your garden, especially if you like to grill outside because meat drippings are very inviting. The best way to keep rats apart from the lawn is to clean your griller after using it and cover it using aluminum foil. You may also like to avoid eating around your lawn because food drippings will surely invite rodents and damage grasses.
Moles
Moles are cute creatures, but they are known to create massive damage to your lawn. There is a way to keep them away from your yard without hurting them. With an old rug, soak in olive oil and place holes around the garden to keep moles away from the lawn.
