Bugs can cause damage and in severe cases they can even kill the grass. When dead, yellow or brown spots have been generated by insects in the yard, insecticides may be necessary. There are other methods of coping with these pests which might be easier on the environment which may do the job. Depending on what sort of pests have caused the damage, reseeding can go a long way toward caring for the problem.
Assessing the Pest
Before employing a bug killer decide how the infestation is and what pests are causing the damage. Do a check on a 1-square yard patch of yard to detect caterpillars, armyworms, adult billbugs, chinch bugs, cutworms, skippers that are fiery and sod webworms. Mix 2 to 4 tablespoons of a mild dishwashing liquid to 1 gallon of water. Do the test on a patch of yard that includes both healthy and damaged bud. Pour to a sprinkling can and distribute it evenly across the bud. Wait 10 minutes, then check for insects. Identify the insects that rely on them and come into the surface. Treatment is warranted if more than five armyworms, caterpillars or cutworms can be located. If more than 135 chinch bugs or more than one adult billbug per square foot is discovered, treatment is warranted. Pull up the turf to locate billbug larva and grubs. The turf will pull up, Should the roots have been consumed by them. 40 black turfgrass ataenius grubs, one larva or six white grubs at a 1-square foot region signal.
Careful With the Pesticide
Don’t reseed immediately afterward, When chemical bug killer or a pesticide is applied to get rid of the pests. Keep pesticide applications and reseeding separated by a few months, too. Wait to deal with the yard with bug killer, if the bud is seeded in the fall. Wait until autumn to use the bug killer, After the grass is seeded in the spring or summer. Wear protective clothes and eyeglasses when applying bug killers and stay with the guidelines of the manufacturer.
The More Environmentally Friendly Treatment
Dethatching and over-seeding the yard might be all that is needed to control many of these pests. Cutworms, armyworms , fiery skippers, chinch bugs, sod webworms and grubs can be controlled this way. While the thatch exceeds 1/2 inch, the yard ought to be dethatched. Reseed with a bud that is resistant to a grass species or pests which the insect doesn’t like, as soon as possible. Applying fertilizer, mowing and watering will also help control pests and limit the damage.
Keeping It Healthy
When the soil gets dry to a depth of 2 inches, If the bud grows in, water . Water the yard 6 to 8 inches of soil are wet, then wait before watering it again till the soil dries. Fertilize the yard four times annually, spreading 1/2 to 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each time. Mow the grass enough to keep warm-season bud at 3/4 to 1 inch high and cool-season bud at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches high. Greater than one third of the peak of the grass ought to be cut at each mowing.