The Most Common Florida Lawn Pests That Are Eating Your Lawn

Are Lawn Pests Overtaking Your Home’s Lawn?

Central Florida is a great place to raise a family and enjoy the beautiful weather throughout the year. A manicured lawn is an essential aspect for many homeowners in the area.

Still, it can be a challenge to keep your lawn looking great throughout the year as you battle weather conditions, invasive lawn pests, and even yard disease.

Lawn care is an essential part of any home because infestation from various Florida lawn pests can turn a beautiful lawn into a brown area of death and destruction in no time.

Let’s take a look at the most common pests that could invade your lawn this year, so you know how to keep your yard looking great throughout the year!

The Most Common Florida Lawn Pests To Watch Out For

You already know the lawn care basics to keep your yard healthy and looking beautiful throughout the year. You have a fertilization schedule, water your yard regularly, and work with a professional aeration company to keep your grass green and robust.

But did you know that pest control is an area of lawn care that many homeowners overlook? Central Florida hosts some of the most aggressive and destructive lawn pests in the nation, and if these infestations go unchecked, you could end up with extensive damage to your lawn that could last months.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common lawn pests that you need to keep an eye out for this year!

Chinch Bugs

The most common lawn pest in the southern U.S. is the Southern Chinch Bug. This tiny insect is notorious throughout Central Florida because it loves St. Augustine grass. Chinch bugs are infamous for causing extensive damage to the lawns of Central Florida homeowners throughout the year.

Chinch bug damage can be extreme on all types of turfgrass, so homeowners need to watch for this destructive species. While they can be challenging to see, here are a few ways to identify chinch bugs in your lawn:

• Adults are approximately 3/16 inches long.
• Dark red or brown with white bands across their back.
• Have wings that fold over their rigid bodies.

While these tiny critters are hard to spot, you can see their early feeding activity show up as dead patches in your lawn.

When you and a pest control company catch an infestation early on, you can typically get your lawn back to total health with some fertilizer and ongoing pest control services throughout the year.

Sod Webworms

Sod webworms love the tropical climates in Central Florida, specifically targeting freshly planted turfgrass or newly transplanted sod in new residential lawns.

Sod webworms are a year-round threat to Central Florida lawns, so homeowners need to be on the looking throughout the year for infestations from these pesky critters.

• 3/4″ – 1″ long with a grayish-green color.
• Hide at the soil’s surface during the day.
• Adults are tan moths with a wingspan of 3/4″ – 1″.

Some homeowners have difficulty identifying sod webworms because the sod webworm larvae curl up on the soil surface, and the early stages of an infestation might appear subtle. This is because the caterpillars tend to start eating the tips of grass but gradually move down to the base of the grass.

If not addressed right away, you could be left with extensive damage with large dead patches across your lawn. The best way to protect your healthy lawn from these lawn pests is to talk with a professional pest control company about the first signs of chewing or ragged-looking blades of grass.

Mole Crickets

Compared to other lawn pests, Mole crickets are among the least common lawn pest that threats to your Central Florida lawn. Not only do they devour any type of grass available to them, but they also burrow and tunnel beneath the ground so they can be challenging to identify.

Mole crickets thrive above and below ground, so they have a year-round life cycle without a dormant phase like many other Florida lawn pests. These critters feed on both the roots and leaves of your grass, so you should keep a keen eye out for them in your lawn:

• Typically, adult mole crickets are only 1 1/2″ long.
• Cylindrical bodies and beady eyes.
• shovel-like forelimbs that look like a mole- used for tunneling in the soil.

Along with dead patches of dead grass throughout your lawn, a sure-tell way to identify mole crickets in your lawn is if there are mounds of dirt near the entrance of their tunnels.

While mole crickets can cause brown patches throughout your lawn, they also attract wildlife like raccoons and birds who eat these Florida Lawn pests. It can be challenging to get rid of mole crickets since they tunnel in soil, so homeowners should contact a professional pest control company to address this lawn care need as soon as possible.

Grub Worms

There are over 100 species of grub worms in the United States, and Central Florida is home to several types that do extensive damage to lawns each year. The good news is that while grubs can destroy your lawn, they are not common to Central Florida.

Specific subspecies have a one-year life cycle, while others can live up to four years. Regardless of the species, grub worms and adult beetles can do lots of damage to your lawn, so keep an eye out for these traits:

• Larvae are typically 3/4″ to 1 3/4″ long.
• Grub worm larvae have three pairs of legs.
• Look for a white body and a brown head.

Grub worms usually hatch in groups of 15-20 larvae, and this group of critters will begin eating at your grassroots. Since grub worms attack the roots and they feed in large groups, these lawn pests can cause heavy damage to your lawn if not addressed right away.

The professional Central Florida lawn care experts at LawnWorx have the experience you need to address these terrible pests at their source. We can help you avoid expensive damage to your lawn and home!

Central Florida Pest Control Services That You Can Trust!

If you’re in the Central Florida area and are looking for a lawn care service that provides professional, eco-friendly pest control services to keep your yard beautiful all year long without breaking the bank, we can help.

Contact LawnWorx today for a free consultation and allow us to care for your lawn while you enjoy life in beautiful Central Florida.

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