Scout for These Lawn Pests

Tropical Sod Webworm

Caterpillars feed on grasses
- Mostly warmer season, but can occur year-round
Chewing notches along leaves
Ragged appearance
“Windows” scraped into grass blades by more immature larvae
- Too small to chew and notch
¾ – 1 inch long
Bright green frass (that is insect poop)!

Fall Armyworm

Year-round pest, but populations build up in Fall
Feed on all grasses, but prefer bermudagrass
Green to brown
5 inches long
Y on head

Striped Grass Looper

Year-round pest, but populations build up in Fall
Loop like inchworms
Long and thin
Cream to black color with narrow stripe down back
More problematic in Bahia grass pastures

Chinch Bugs

Most common turfgrass pest
Active March – November
- Can be problematic year-round
Incomplete metamorphosis
- Same mouthparts entire life
- Same feeding preference on grass sap entire life
- More challenging to control
Leads to weed problems once grass dies back
Monitor with dust buster vacuum
- High end landscape will treat if 1 chinch bug
- Moderate landscapes should adjust threshold to 10- 25 per square foot

Grubs

Feed on roots
Grass thins out
Feels soft and spongy
Scattered and irregular brown patches may occur
Grass may peel back like roll of sod
Look for creamy, white, C- shaped, beetle larvae
Treatment thresholds vary

Mole Crickets

Most common in St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Bahia
Eggs deposited April – May, juveniles through August, and adults starting August – September
Feed above and below ground
Monitor surface tunneling
Can do soap flush in turf
- 2 tbsp. dish soap with 2 gallons water
- Pour on 4 square foot area
- Wait three minutes for insects to come to surface
- Consider control with 2- 4 crickets per square foot

Tools: Vacuum and Soap Flush

A dust buster vacuum is a lawn technician’s best friend. The small vacuum can be used on a one square foot area of turf where damage is moving. Vacuum that turf section really well, and then dump the contents of the vacuum onto a light colored tray. Count the crawlies!

A soap flush using a couple gallons of water and two tablespoons of dish soap poured over a small section of turf will get critters to move up or float to the surface.

UF/IFAS Insect ID Lab

UF/IFAS has a lot of diagnostic services available! Start with your local county extension agent. If they cannot identify the insect, they will work with you to collect samples to send to the UF/IFAS Insect ID Lab in Gainesville. Or start with great photos sent to your local agent, and they will guide you from there! Here is a link to the lab in Gainesville: http ://entnemdept.ufl.edu/insectid /

Insects are super important, and unfortunately, a lot of good ones are declining. That is why we ID! A really cool place to visit that has incredible insect collections is the Florida Museum of Natural History.

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/lawns/problems-and-solutions/lawn-insect-pests.html