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Zephyrhills Lawn Control: overview
Florida is home to a myriad of species that can damage your homes and lawns. And commonly, it’s one of a handful of pests that have spread out and settled in across the state. These pests can turn your bright green, lovely turf into a patchy, dying, brown mess. So, let’s touch on some of the bugs you can expect to see attacking your lawn in the beautiful Sunshine State. Florida is the land of HOA’s and heartbreak, as well as rising home and insurance costs. So a bug like this can set you back pretty heavily if you aren’t careful. Now, let’s get into the most common lawn pests we deal with.
Chinch bugs
Chinch bugs are first on our list of pests that will have you needing Zephyrhills lawn control. These are a common lawn pest in Florida. Not only that, but they’re voracious and capable of causing quite a bit of turf damage. They are tiny insects that feed on the sap of grass blades. This leads the grass to turn yellow and die off. Chinch bugs are most active during the warm summer months and spread through infested areas quickly. If you have an infestation of these guys, you have to act quickly- or they’ll spread and kill your entire lawn.
One of the most effective ways to deal with these pest insects is basic lawn care. A less healthy lawn is more susceptible to plants, mold, and fungus. A healthy lawn also recovers and re-spreads more quickly than a brittle, damaged one. That’s why proper watering and mowing are important. Try not to mow too low, and don’t keep your lawn constantly soaked. Also, overfertilizing will increase the amount of nitrogen in your yard. This makes it more appealing to pests, so fertilize with caution and care.
Zephyrhills Lawn Control: Mole Crickets
Mole crickets are another prolific lawn pest that can cause damage to your Florida lawn. These are burrowing insects that eat grass roots. Because of this, their feeding activity can cause grass to turn brown and die. You’ll find these pests most active during spring and fall months, and they’re capable of quickly infesting areas they reach.
Adult mole crickets are large (1 to 1 1/4”) with elongated bodies. The front pair of legs bear dactyls and the hearing organ called the tympanum, which is analogous to human ears. Mole crickets have two clawed dactyls on their forelegs that separate them from the native species, which have four claws. They have long antenna and strong, digging forelegs. Nymphs resemble adults but are smaller in size and lack fully grown wings.
Mole crickets spend their lives in soil, with occasional mating and dispersal flights as adults. Mating and dispersal flights take place from February to March for tawny and southern mole crickets. Flight occurs within 1 to 2 hours following sunset. Males sing (call) to females from a special chamber in the ground. Females respond to the calls that are unique to the males of their species.
Armyworms
Next on our list of “you need Zephyrhills Lawn Control” status bugs is the armyworm. These armyworms are actually the larvae of a moth and are very, very small.
Female moths will lay up to 2,000 tiny eggs right on the grass blades. The eggs hatch a few days later. At first, the tiny caterpillars are green with a black head. As they devour the grass over 14 days or so, they change to brown with white lines on the side and a reddish-brown head. They grow to more than an inch long. If you see this gobbling your grass, your lawn is in trouble.
Fall armyworms get their name because thousands of them literally march across a lawn like an army, eating as they go. They emerge in late summer and fall, which allows this pest several generations to do their damage in the South. People with heavily infested lawns report they can actually hear the munching. These caterpillars are sneaky assassins, moving only at night and crawling into silk-lined burrows during the day. You may first notice their presence as a brown patch of lawn that gets bigger every day. Or you may walk out one morning to find nothing but dirt where a lawn was just the night before.
Zephyrhills lawn control tips: How to keep pests from settling in your lawn
When it comes to a real pest infestation, you’re best to leave that to an expert. Their care and knowledge can be the difference between saving your lawn and burning it. However, there are a few things that you can do as a homeowner to make infestations in your lawn less likely.
For one, regular lawn mowing without burning the blades is crucial. Try to keep at least a few inches of lawn sticking up out of the ground to prevent the blades from dying and pests from taking advantage. Weeding is important as well, as weeds that flower are very attractive to various pest insects that attack lawns.
Removing clutter from your lawn is another quick tip that will drastically reduce the odds of pest species. Things like old tires, scraps of cellulose materials like paper and cardboard, or anything else that can provide food and shelter to pests is going to have to go. That goes for plastic and rubber containers as well, such as old tires, empty flowerpots, and the like.
And finally, consider a drench test. A “drench test” can tell you if you’re dealing with an infestation. Simply mix 3-4 tablespoons of dishwashing soap with 2 gallons of water. Pour the mixture out over a small patch of your lawn and wait about 10 minutes to see if any pests rise to the surface. If you notice a plethora of insects, then you are likely facing an infestation.
