How to Control Lawn Insects and Pests

About Lawn Insects and Pests

A wide variety of insects and critters live in, and munch on your lawn. It only makes sense, ‘cuz, after all, your lawn is a great place to live. It’s lush, it’s green, and it’s filled with good things for those lawn insects and the varmints to eat. While it is unrealistic to think you will eliminate all of the bad lawn insects, controlling lawn insects and the damage they do is an attainable goal.

A normal level of insect activity is to be expected, and it is indicative of a healthy lawn. When the level of visitors reaches high levels, we notice and get annoyed. Treating your lawn is effective, yet problematic as once it is treated, you should stay off it for a while. The chemicals can be harmful to you, your kids, and your pets.

How to Control Lawn Insects

The only really effective means of controlling lawn insects is to apply a lawn fertilizer with insecticides in the formula. However, you can also use a sprayer and apply a liquid insecticide. When using a sprayer, you can limit how much you use to major infested areas of your lawn. Because of the harmful nature of insecticides, we recommend reasonable insect control. We also encourage you to handle chemicals carefully and responsibly. Apply them, only as directed.

Common Lawn Insects

The most common insect problem is grubs. The Japanese Beetle grub is perhaps the best known. They are effectively controlled, but not eliminated, through insecticide treatment in mid-summer. This is the time when the grub’s life cycle begins. It’s the larval stage. The larvae burrows into your turf, intent on fattening up on your lawn’s roots, before hibernating for the winter. This is when you want to apply a “Fertilizer and Grub” killer. It is important to do it just after they have gone into your turf. Applying grub killers before they have entered the lawn is a waste of chemicals into the environment. Watch for the right time in your area. Ask a local lawn and garden store if you are not sure. More on Japanese Beetles

There are a whole host of other insects that also enjoy your lawn, some for only a brief visit, and others an entire season, if allowed. There are a variety of insect sprays you can use to combat any serious infestation. But again, we emphasize caution. Applying an insecticide will eliminate insects, but you should also stay off the lawn for some time as indicated in the instructions on the label of the insecticide.

Other Lawn Damaging Varmints

Insects are not the only pests that invade your lush lawn. Undoubtedly, the most damaging of them are Moles and Voles. Moles and voles tunnel under your lawn, looking for insects and other goodies to eat. Your healthy lawn has plenty, so once moles move in, they are hard to get rid of. Lawncare and pesticide companies have many options for you to choose from in fighting an infestation. They include:

Mole Poisons- harmful to the environment and not always effective.

The high pitched sounds- this only sends the mole to your neighbor for a while.

Mole traps- there is a wide variety to choose from.

Toxic Gases- But, you may never know if you “smoked ’em out”.

A very effective tool is the traditional mouse trap with a little peanut butter. Set this next to an active hole, and cover it with a small container to shelter it from pets and weather. Voila, the Moles sniff the peanut butter and the rest is history along with the mole. Mousetraps also are harmless to the environment.

Tip: Partially chew a piece of chewing gum and set it in an active hole. The mole will eat it, but can not digest it and will die.

Man's Best Friend

Your pet dog is sometimes unfriendly to your lawn. When your dog, or a neighbor’s dog, urinates on the lawn, the nitrogen in the urine is so strong that it will burn a brown spot in the lawn. If you see the dog urinate, immediately flush the area with water. If you do not see it happen, the brown spot will appear in a few days. Flush it with water and immediately re-seed the spot.