When you invest your money, time, and effort into cultivating a lush, green sod yard, the last thing that you want is for that lawn to be ruined by pests. Unfortunately, it is the nature of small bugs and insects to make themselves at home in your yard, so it is important for you to understand the prevention, symptoms, and treatments associated with sod pests like the webworm.
About Sod Webworms
Webworms are tan moths with only a one-inch wingspan. They are small and easy to identify by their zigzagging motions over sod around dusk. Their eggs take two weeks to develop into worms that damage sod lawns. If you find those eggs anywhere in your yard, chances are you have two weeks to seek professional lawn care help before worms begin wreaking havoc around your lawn. The moths and eggs themselves can’t be killed, so action can only be taken once the worms have developed and are ready to cause trouble.
Handling Webworm Damage
The webworms that are hatched from moth eggs feed on grass blades. They begin with nibbles and quickly progress to eating large patches of grass. If a lawn was very healthy before the presence of webworms, it’s much easier for the grass to recover and grow back to normal. However, grass that was already suffering tends to show more signs of damage by looking spotty and too short. It’s easy to misinterpret webworm damage for grass that has been damaged by heat and drought, especially as the end of summer approaches.
If you see moths, don’t panic, since the moths themselves don’t actually cause any damage. Try mixing two tablespoons of liquid dish soap with two gallons of water and soak an area of your sod. It should take about 15 minutes for any tan-spotted worms present to crawl to the surface. Contact a professional for help eliminating the worms so you can save your sod.