Lawn Destroying Insects in Ocklawaha, FL; Chinch Bugs, Grubs, Armyworms, Sod Web Worms & More
Like its namesake “the sunshine state” owning a home or business in Florida can be a wonderfully relaxing experience especially when you consider the sunny climate and close proximity to the ocean. On the other hand those very same attributes can lead to disappointment when it comes to keeping your lawn in tip top condition. Not only will you find it difficult to balance the heat of the sun which can quickly dry out your grass, the warm tropical climate is also the perfect foil for nuisance pests to thrive causing devastating damage to your turfgrass. According to the knowledgeable experts at Pest 911 there are a number of nuisance bugs found in Florida yards that are capable of damaging your grass, shrubs, flower beds and vegetable gardens.
Common Nuisance Insects & Pests Found in Florida Yards
Chinch Bugs: Chinch bugs are one of the primary lawn-damaging nuisance pest found on Florida lawns are certainly unique when you consider they have five stages of development and their appearance can differ greatly depending on which stage of development they happen to be in. In the early stages for example, they can be described as reddish with white bands across the area of their backs. As they continue to develop the color will turn from reddish to black and the bugs can grow from 1/8 to 1/10 of an inch at maturity. Chinch bugs damage lawns by sucking out moisture which leaves the grass brown and dried out.
Grubs: If you have noticed increased beetle activity around your yard along with patches of brown looking grass, there is a good chance you have a grub problem. Grubs are the larvae of beetles and require an abundance of food to ensure their development causing damage to your yard eating grass roots, plants, and vegetables (if you happen to have a vegetable patch) in the process. Unfortunately, the presence of grubs attracts other lawn pests which can lead to additional damage to your turf grass.
Armyworms: Despite their name, armyworms are not worms at all but are in fact caterpillars that are capable of causing quite a bit of damage to your yard. Not only do armyworms attack your turf grass, they also attack other forms of vegetation including flowers, shrubs and plants leaving a wake of destruction in their paths in the form of holes in the leaves of plants and grass blades.
Sod Web Worms: Do you often look across your yard only to see clusters of tiny moths flittering around? If you answered yes, you may also have a sod web worm problem. Just like armyworms, sod web worms are also a variety of caterpillar which will one day become a moth. Signs of sod web worms include chewed up areas of turfgrass which appear to have been cut with gardening shears because unlike armyworms that eat holes in individual blades of grass, sod web worms eat blades of grass from the top down.
Mole Crickets: These can be described as small crickets that are brown in color with a hard shell which resembles a crustacean. There are three species that are considered to be nuisance turfgrass pests in Florida and all three appear very similar in appearance. Although they can infest and destroy many types of turfgrass, they have a particular liking for Bermuda grass. Mole crickets can quickly detach and sever the grass from the root system causing considerable damage.
Lawn Pest Control
If you have a problem with nuisance pests damaging your Ocala, Florida turf grass, contact the knowledgeable experts at Pest 911 and ask about our comprehensive residential pest control programs today.
