Billbugs
Adult stage
Larval stage
Billbug adults are small grayish or black weevils in the beetle family.
The young, or larval stage, are cream colored and legless. They are the damaging stage of this insect. They live in the soil and thatch and are not visible unless you actively search for them. They feed on the shoots and stems of the grass first, moving down into the crown and roots as they mature.
Adults will often be seen walking along pavement, or walkways, on sunny days in late May or June, with the damage appearing in late July to early August.
Fortunately, our season-long grub prevention application is also effective against them, so we don’t anticipate too many problems.
Chinch Bugs
Chinch bugs feed on the grass surface. They live in the thatch and shoots and are not easily seen unless you actively search for them.
They have a different appearance at each stage of development. The young do the most damage, but all stages feed.
The black adults are about 5mm long and dart along the grass surface. With the careful observation, they can be seen, especially in areas they’ve already damaged. What makes chinch bugs so damaging is that they are most active in dry conditions in the summer heat. Turf that is already weakened by drought and heat stress can be quickly finished off by their feeding.
They are less of a problem in lawns that are irrigated regularly.
Fortunately, our program addresses chinch bug issues so that they’re rarely a problem.
Sod Webworms
Sod webworms are the young (larval) stage of lawn moths.
The young, or larval stage, are caterpillars of various colors. They are the damaging stage of this insect. They live in the thatch and shoots and are not visible unless you actively search for them. They feed on the shoots and stems of the grass. They’re nocturnal feeders, so are not noticeable during the day unless you know what to look for.
The buff-colored adults are 1/2" to 3/4" long and will often be seen flying along the lawn, especially when they’re disturbed by lawn traffic. They flutter around a bit then they’ll land back in another spot on the lawn.
The damage will appear as brown spots that get larger as the caterpillars find new grass to feed on. This damage will be most noticeable in July to early August, when the lawn may be already stressed.
Fortunately, our season-long grub prevention application is also effective against them, so we don’t anticipate too many problems.
White Grubs
Larval stage
Life cycle
White grubs are the young (larval) stage of a variety of beetles. They are the most damaging insect pest, of home lawns, in the northeast.
Beetle grubs from the Japanese beetle, European chafer, Oriental Garden beetle, June beetle, and a few others all feed on turf. They all have a similar life cycle.
These beetles emerge in early summer. They’ll feed on foliage of trees and shrubs, and then lay eggs in mid-summer. The eggs hatch in about 10 days and the grubs begin to feed on grass roots. They’ll continue feeding, and growing, until October. Large populations can cause severe damage, but even severely damaged lawns can regrow roots if the grubs are killed before the predators find them. Predators, such as skunks and crows, can “roto-till” a lawn searching for grubs. When this happens, it usually requires repair to get the lawn back.
The grubs will go down in the soil, below the frost line, until spring. They’ll come back up to feed for a few more weeks until they turn into beetles.
Fortunately, our season-long grub preventor is extremely effective. We target the late summer/fall stage of feeding, which also prevents feeding the following spring.
For new customers, or customers who didn’t have the season-long grub prevention in the prior season, a separate, additional application must be made for any spring-feeding grubs.
For more information regarding insects that may be effecting your lawn health, please do not hesitate to give us a call, or shoot us an email.