For all of the careful maintenance and attention that you devote to your sod, you can’t always prevent pests and bugs from infiltrating your yard. However, learning to recognize the bugs and familiarizing yourself with the best treatment options available, you can take back power over your yard and enjoy your view without any damaging bugs in sight.
The Chinch Bug
Is your grass turning yellow or reddish-brown? If so, it could be under attack by chinch bugs. These incredibly tiny bugs are difficult to spot, but the damage they cause is obvious. Chinch bugs only measure about ⅕” long with black bodies and white wings across their backs. Unfortunately, they view your lawn as their dinner, so even if you cut, water, and fertilize your sod exactly like you should, chinch bugs can still cause trouble. They will suck your grass blades dry and inject a poison that kills the blades. This tends to cause damage in patches that end up looking like they are suffering from drought. A professional pest control service is the best way to stop chinch bugs in their tracks.
Fall Armyworms
The fall armyworm thrives in warm and tropical regions like Florida, and since it is a strong flier, it can easily disperse long distances over the summer. Even though more than 80 host plants have been recorded for the fall armyworm, this pest prefers grasses more than anything, especially Bermudagrass. Larvae are known to cause damage by eating foliage and leaving distinct holes. Just like with chinch bugs, a professional pest control service is the best way to keep fall armyworms from destroying your beautiful sod.
Mole Crickets
The mole cricket is another serious pest in Florida, especially in Bahia sod. Mole crickets love to tunnel through roots and eat the shoots of the grass. Unfortunately, their tunneling habits end up dislodging plants and causing them to dry out. Special nematodes are available to infect and kill mole crickets.
You work hard to keep your sod looking beautiful, green, and healthy, so you don’t want to give pests the opportunity to ruin it. Council Growers Sod in Tampa, Florida is a local, family-owned sod farm that can answer all of your sod questions and help you keep those pests far from your yard. Call (813) 633-8665 today to learn more!