One of the most inviting aspects of a home's landscaping is a thick, lush, green lawn. Lawns quickly lose their appeal when they become brown or yellow due to insect infestation and become unhealthy. How can you control lawn pests?
Maintaining a healthy and attractive lawn is possible with a little research into the many pests that can harm your lawn and developing a strategy to combat them. Accurate identification, knowledge of life cycles and symptoms, and timely, appropriate treatment are the best methods for controlling lawn pests. A beautiful lawn is something that many homeowners strive for. Keeping your lawn in good condition isn't rocket science when it comes to watering, mowing and fertilizing - but controlling lawn pests (see pictures below!) is a completely different matter.
If you want to keep your lawn free of pests and diseases, it is important to practice proactive lawn care. There are a variety of lawn pests. These are the most common.
Ants (Formicidae)
- Recognize
The work that ants do on your lawn, such as digging their burrows into the ground and incorporating organic material, can actually improve the health of your lawn. However, ant tunnels and mounds on the surface of the lawn can be unsightly and unattractive. Ants are tiny, slimy insects that can be between 1 and 50mm long and come in a variety of colors, including black, brown, yellow and even shiny silver.
- Fight
You can make your own ant killer by pouring boiling water on the anthill in your yard. This DIY method may require several attempts. Another alternative for ant control is to mix olive oil with dishwashing detergent. However, this may cause the treated area of your lawn to become paler, which is not ideal.
A biological nematode can be used to regulate ant populations. Since the nematodes irritate the ant colony, the ants are driven away. When applied between April and October, lawns are protected from nematodes because the soil is at an ideal temperature for their life cycle. In areas where the ant population is particularly dense, it may be necessary to repeatedly apply the bait to prevent the ants from returning.
An alternative, albeit a tedious and difficult one, would be to manually dig up an ant nest and relocate the ants inside. If you want to win you have to dig a big hole and preferably find the queen.
Pests in the lawn – garden leaf beetle (Phyllopertha horticola) and its larvae
- Determine
The white-gray larvae of the garden chafer beetle can cause serious damage to the root system of the lawn. Late summer and early fall is the best time to detect damage. The roots of grass plants provide food for the larvae. Depending on the weather, the adults can usually be seen between the end of spring and the beginning of summer. If the damage is severe enough, the sod can be pulled out of the ground like a carpet if the roots are eaten away. Since caterpillars are a treat for many creatures, you may also notice more birds visiting your lawn.
- Get rid of vermin
The larvae are infected with a deadly bacterial disease, and you can purchase pathogenic nematodes, usually Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, to kill them. When the ground is moist and the temperature is between 12 and 20ºC, these little creatures can be sprayed into the grass.
To repair damaged lawns, you can either reseed or lay sod in mid to late spring after the beetle caterpillars have pupated and penetrated deeper into the soil.
Larvae of the meadow fly (Tipula)
- Recognize
The meadow fly's pupae hatch in July and August. They lay their own eggs in the ground on the first day after hatching at the latest. About two weeks after hatching, the larvae begin to feed on grass roots - this feeding behavior continues throughout the winter and into spring. In May or June they stop feeding to lay their eggs in the ground. They usually spend the day under and the night on the leaves of the grass. On very cloudy days the larvae can be observed in damp grass. The leathery skin of the meadow fly is gray or brown and about 3.5 - 4 cm long. They don't survive if the sun dries them out because they are so delicate.
Lawns are at risk from fall through spring, but damage is worst in spring when the larvae are fully grown. Damage to the roots can cause the grass to weaken and turn yellow. If there is minimal or no root development, the grass can be easily pulled up. If the previous autumn was moderate and rainy, the damage is often even greater. Birds and animals that dig up the grass to get to these pests can also cause secondary damage.
- combat
Instead of fighting flies, you should fight the pests in the larval stage. Two methods of control are manual removal or the use of the biological nematodes, which attacks and kills the larvae within a few weeks. Application usually takes place in the second half of August to the last week of October. If the soil temperature is above 10 degrees Celsius, a spring spray can be carried out if the infestation is severe.
Also interesting:Spring Lawn Care: A Practical Guide with the Right Sequence
Maulwurf (Talpidae)
- Determine
Because moles are carnivores, they forage for insects, grubs, and worms, not plants. However, mole digging can ruin your lawn and garden. Moles are tiny mammals that live completely underground. As master burrowers, moles can eat 60 to 100% of their weight in beetles, grubs and worms each day.
When you spot a mole, you can identify it by its pointed nose, small eyes, and potato-shaped body. When in action, they swim through the soil by breaking up the soil with their large front flippers. They are best seen early in the morning or late in the spring or fall, or right after a warm rain shower, and they like to live in moist, loamy soil.
- Effective methods for getting rid of moles
The best way to combat a stubborn mole infestation is to set traps. After catching the moles in a humane trap, release them in a remote region at least 10 km from your home. Another excellent method is to place an ultrasound machine near the drains.
When castor oil is used as a seasoning, these pests seek other food sources. Make a natural mixture of 3 parts castor oil and 1 part dishwashing detergent and then mix 4 teaspoons of this solution in 3 - 4 liters of water. Soak the tunnels and entrances with this solution.You can also use coffee groundsPlace , ground red pepper or tobacco on the tunnel openings. Never forget to reapply the chosen product after a rain.
Also read:Sanding the lawn: This is how you can loosen up clay soil!
