Most Common Garden Pests You Should Watch Out For

Pest issues are not limited to your home or commercial building. If you have a lawn, you need to watch out for some lawn pests. A lush green backyard is a good source of food and shelter for many pests. Many of the feed of grass and plants, affecting the lawn’s health. Some attack humans and pets, making garden pest control in Port St. Lucie important.

Leaving the infestation in the landscape alone might create dying patches on your turf. Some species might spread to the building. First, you need to identify the insect or rodent that has infested your garden to get an effective treatment plan. Here are some common garden pests you should watch out for:

Mole
Moles leave volcano-like soil mounds with raised ridges all around the turf. They dig tunnels under the turf to feed on insects, grubs and worms. They’re seen more in overwatered lawns because it’s easier to dig through wet and soft soil.

You can place traps to catch them. Castor oil can encourage them to leave your lawn. You can use castor oil in liquid or granular formulations.

Vole
Voles are small critters that chew through grass and create trails in the ground during the winter. They are usually hidden by the snow and roam freely over the lawn in open regions. Vole trails become visible when the snow melts, by when the critters retreat into bushes and long grass.

Castor oil can help you repel voles from your lawn. Fill the trails with potting soil and compost to help the turf recover.

Grubs
Grubs or beetle larvae are a huge issue in the western parts of the US. The irrigated turf offers grubs with an oasis to thrive in desert regions. The white plump curved larvae feed on grass roots, leaving brown dying patches on the turf.

Grass patches damaged by grubs lift off easily, revealing the curved larvae underneath. You may also notice skunks, armadillos or crows digging your soil in search of them. You can treat them with milky spores, granular pest control products or nematodes.

Chinch Bugs
Parts of the lawn that fall under sunny areas are vulnerable to chinch bug attacks. These tiny bugs suck juices from the grass and inject toxins into the soil to loosen the roots. They can be of various kinds though hairy chinch bugs are the most common. They usually dwell in the thatch layer or the crowns of grass plants. You could see them by getting to grass level.

Try using the drench or floatation test to see if you have an infestation. Dethatching your lawn can help you reduce the spots these bugs hide in. You may need to call professionals for garden pest control in Vero Beach, though insecticidal soap works too.

Mole Crickets
Mole Crickets are extremely notorious in the southeast region. These insects bury tunnels through the soil while feasting on insects and decaying plant parts.

They leave irregularly shaped patches, rootless grass, finger-wide tunnels and spongy texture on the ground. You can do a floatation or drench test to check for these bugs. Avoid overwatering your lawn because mole crickets love moist soil. Insecticides are usually your main tool to treat their infestation.

Leatherjackets
Leatherjackets are the larvae of the European crane fly. They get the name from their gray-brown coloring. They have no legs and are one and a half inches long. The European crane fly looks like a large mosquito but doesn’t bite or carry disease. The larvae damage the lawn by eating the roots and stems of grass, leaving dead patches when they should be lush.

Look for them in the top 3 inches of sod between February to mid-May. Areas with poorly shaped, dying or yellowing grass are likely to have them. You may also spot them in shady wet areas. Count them and check your local guidelines before treating them.

Stinging Bugs
Bees, hornets and wasps are likely to build hives or nests in lawns. Some species are aggressive or semi-aggressive and need to be removed. Honeybees should ideally not be killed but removed with the help of a beekeeper.

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