Reasons for Lawn Damage

A healthy, well-tended lawn is a beautiful thing, but like any planting, it can experience a variety of problems. Chewing insects, like grasshoppers, may attack grass blades, and burrowing critters, like gophers, may munch through grass roots and cause green tops to die. It’s not too difficult to spot dying patches of lawn. It is often a challenge, though, to detect what is causing the problem and how to treat it. Learn about common lawn pests and the symptoms they cause, along with some tips on treating the problem.

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Lawn grubs are the larval form of Japanese, June and a few other beetles. Which beetle grub your lawn is most likely to be infested with depends on where you live. Grubs are a big problem in the Northeast, Midwest and Southwest, where irrigated turf provides a grub oasis in the otherwise desert country. Grubs make their presence known by creating patches of dying lawn as they devour grass roots. Sometimes you’ll also notice places where the lawn has been burrowed as hungry skunks or armadillos dig for grubs. Treatments for grubs include milky spore, granular pest control products, and nematodes. Ask about how All Purpose Landscaping, LLC, in Cannon City, Colorado deals with lawn grubs.

Signs of digging or adult beetles provide easy-to-discern clues about what’s attacking a lawn. But when an insect is hiding in grass crowns or working underground, it’s tough to spot the villains. Pouring soapy water on a patch of lawn (called a drench test) provides an easy way to flush pests to the surface. Dissolve two tablespoons of dishwashing detergent (lemony scents work best) in two gallons of water. Pour the solution over a square-yard area of lawn. Observe carefully. You may spot mole crickets, chinch bugs, cutworms, or armyworms scrambling up from soil and grass to escape the suffocating soap. This is a common tip expressed by soil and lawn experts across the United States.
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When selecting a treatment for lawn pests, look no farther than All Purpose Landscaping, LLC, your one stop shop for all your lawn maintenance and landscaping needs. Let us help you keep your lawn clean and green. Finally, remember that the best defense against any pest is maintaining a healthy lawn. Aerate, dethatch, fertilize, mowing and water on a schedule that favors healthy turf growth.

​Julie A. Martens: Background Information