Sirhornsalot
**The Official Horn Sports Landscaper and Landscap
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- Nov 6, 2013
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Look For These Grass Killers in Your Lawn This Month!
Last August I sounded the alarm over the infestation of Chinch Bugs and to a lesser extent, Sod Web Worms. It paid off as a lot of lawns were able to be saved through treatment.
A year later, I will sound the alarm again about Chinch Bugs and Sod Web Worms. Last year, Chinch bugs were the bigger problem. This year, it appears Sod Web Worms will be the challenge. So this month we’re going to talk about how to detect these pests in your lawn and how to get rid of them.
Sod Web Worm, above.
We will start with Sod Web Worms, since they seem to be the bigger problem as of now.
Sod Web Worms can be detected several ways. At first, of course, you will notice grass that is not growing like other grass in the lawn. It becomes thinner and lethargic looking. Watering doesn’t help. Fertilizing doesn’t help. Nothing you do seems to help at all.
Sod Web Worms like to live in shady areas of the lawn, or areas with filtered sun. They most often affect St Augustine and Zoysia lawns.
One of several moths that produce Sod Web Worms. If you see these fly up as you walk through your lawn, you have a problem.
When you walk through the grass and see little white moths flying up as you walk through, those are the moths that lay the larvae which becomes the Sod Web Worm. So seeing the moths means you very likely have a Sod Web Worm problem.
Sod Web Worm finger-sized holes/webs going to the soil surface.
Another way of detecting their presence is by the finger-sized holes they leave in the turf, created by a web they weave of grass thatch. The Sod Web Worms live at the bottom of those webs, making it difficult to kill him because he sleeps by day and feeds at night. Spraying insecticide on the lawn during the day is rather pointless. Your spray can’t get to the worms because the worms have protected themselves.
However, applying a granular product with the same chemical will have a much better result. And you need to apply at a very heavy ratio.
When you apply the granular and then water it, the chemical is washed off the pellet and seeps down into those areas where the worms are, providing a far better kill. The chemical we treat with is called Bifenthrin and it kills on contact.
You may also discover the worms coming in on your dog’s coat when they go out at night and then come back inside.
Because the moths can fly from yard to yard, often times a second application will be necessary a week or so after the first application. It is also a good idea to discuss the problem with your neighbors. When all of you treat this problem, it is far easier to resolve. Otherwise, the lawns will just get re-infested.
Once you have applied your granular product, water immediately and again the next evening.
You will be able to know you’re successful when after a week, your lawn is looking much healthier again. Grass can grow really well when insects aren’t eating it.
Above, a Chinch Bug feeding on grass moisture.
Chinch Bugs
Chinch bugs cause heavier damage, faster than Sod Web Worms. But they are also far easier to kill. These are demented creatures, which gravitate to the very sunniest, hottest locations of the lawn. You will often see them near sidewalks, curbs, driveways that are made of concrete. The concrete, as well as stone and metal, radiates the heat, making it hotter near them. This is what Chinch bugs want. The hotter the weather, the more prolific they become. The drier the conditions, the more grass they kill. Chinch bugs don’t actually eat the grass. Instead, they feed on the moisture inside the grass blades and stems.
Note the bronze hue in the turf, where Chinch Bugs are present and feeding.
When they begin taking over an area, they are detectable by the classic bronze hue they create in the turf. No other lawn issue causes this to happen, only Chinch bugs cause this. Where you see the bronze hue in the grass, this is where they are actively feeding.
During normal summers here in Texas, we’ll see them and their damage appear in mid-August. It is then that we normally see our hottest and driest weather. But within a month of that time, it begins to get cooler and we begin seeing rainfall again. Both of those factors are detrimental to the Chinch Bug. So their damage is normally minimized by the short time they are operating in.
Last year, we began seeing consistent temperatures of 100+ degrees by the first of June. We had 22 days of 100s that month, and almost a full month of 100s in July. This caused an early emergence of Chinch bugs and because it was so early, they had three full months to create their damage on our lawns.
Chinch bugs will attack Bermuda, St Augustine and Zoysia turf.
Their damage is first noticed by small areas of grass that look like they were just mowed, because it hasn’t grown since mowing though it is still quite green. The turf surrounding these areas is growing its normal rate. This is early stage Chinch Bug damage. If caught at this stage, damage can be prevented.
As the Chinch Bugs multiply, the damage becomes much more severe. Those areas that wouldn’t grow but were still green are now turning brown/bronze and becoming thinner.
There is a test you can do at home that will confirm for you that you have a Chinch bug problem. Take a coffee can, a small one will do. Go to the area where you believe Chinch bugs could be present. Tap the coffee can into the ground about 1/4 inch in that area. Fill the can with soapy water. If you have Chinch bugs they will float to the top and are visible to the naked eye.
To address the Chinch bug problem, spray during daylight hours using any product that contains the ingredient “Bifenthren.” There are many products that utilize this chemical. It is a contact kill, meaning you need to hit the insect with the chemical to kill it. This is fairly easy to do using a sprayer/liquid application because the Chinch bugs spend their day on the blades of the grass, feeding. They’re pretty easy to hit.
Once you’ve treated, you will notice improvement in your lawn over the next several weeks. However, understand that your neighbors may have their own Chinch bug problem and therefore, those Chinch could migrate over to your place. A second treatment at some point may be necessary.
Watering settings
In Texas, we can get away with watering at night from June through end of August. Our nights are warm, in the 80s for much of that time. No homeowner living in Texas will see a lawn fungus during June/July/August. It just won’t happen.
Watering at night pays dividends during the summer. If you’re watering and start your cycles at 6 am, its only two hours before the sun is up again and evaporating that moisture right back out of the lawn. However, if you start your watering at 11 p.m. at night, the water and plants/grass get to spend up to 8-9 hours together. This provides opportunity for plants and grass to heal themselves and grow more easily and efficiently.
On Labor Day, we will change our starting times back to mornings so that we can avoid fungus starting in our lawns.
Blade Height
The height at which you cut your grass has everything to do with how healthy your lawn will be. If you cut your turf short during July and August, you will have to water more often in order to keep your turf alive. The sunlight is able to hit the soil surface in short grass, causing increased evaporation.
This causes stress in the lawn AND higher water bills.
Raise your blade to have a 3.5 inch or 4 inch cut. Grass kept taller can look just as nice as shorter grass. And grass kept taller during July and August will be twice as green as the short grass.
Also, make sure your blade is sharp. This is critical during the hot months. A dull blade tears the grass and causes stress. A sharp blades cuts the grass, keeping it healthy.
I do recommend watering after mowing. The water will keep the ends of your blades from fraying in the heat.
Last August I sounded the alarm over the infestation of Chinch Bugs and to a lesser extent, Sod Web Worms. It paid off as a lot of lawns were able to be saved through treatment.
A year later, I will sound the alarm again about Chinch Bugs and Sod Web Worms. Last year, Chinch bugs were the bigger problem. This year, it appears Sod Web Worms will be the challenge. So this month we’re going to talk about how to detect these pests in your lawn and how to get rid of them.
Sod Web Worm, above.
We will start with Sod Web Worms, since they seem to be the bigger problem as of now.
Sod Web Worms can be detected several ways. At first, of course, you will notice grass that is not growing like other grass in the lawn. It becomes thinner and lethargic looking. Watering doesn’t help. Fertilizing doesn’t help. Nothing you do seems to help at all.
Sod Web Worms like to live in shady areas of the lawn, or areas with filtered sun. They most often affect St Augustine and Zoysia lawns.
One of several moths that produce Sod Web Worms. If you see these fly up as you walk through your lawn, you have a problem.
When you walk through the grass and see little white moths flying up as you walk through, those are the moths that lay the larvae which becomes the Sod Web Worm. So seeing the moths means you very likely have a Sod Web Worm problem.
Sod Web Worm finger-sized holes/webs going to the soil surface.
Another way of detecting their presence is by the finger-sized holes they leave in the turf, created by a web they weave of grass thatch. The Sod Web Worms live at the bottom of those webs, making it difficult to kill him because he sleeps by day and feeds at night. Spraying insecticide on the lawn during the day is rather pointless. Your spray can’t get to the worms because the worms have protected themselves.
However, applying a granular product with the same chemical will have a much better result. And you need to apply at a very heavy ratio.
When you apply the granular and then water it, the chemical is washed off the pellet and seeps down into those areas where the worms are, providing a far better kill. The chemical we treat with is called Bifenthrin and it kills on contact.
You may also discover the worms coming in on your dog’s coat when they go out at night and then come back inside.
Because the moths can fly from yard to yard, often times a second application will be necessary a week or so after the first application. It is also a good idea to discuss the problem with your neighbors. When all of you treat this problem, it is far easier to resolve. Otherwise, the lawns will just get re-infested.
Once you have applied your granular product, water immediately and again the next evening.
You will be able to know you’re successful when after a week, your lawn is looking much healthier again. Grass can grow really well when insects aren’t eating it.
Above, a Chinch Bug feeding on grass moisture.
Chinch Bugs
Chinch bugs cause heavier damage, faster than Sod Web Worms. But they are also far easier to kill. These are demented creatures, which gravitate to the very sunniest, hottest locations of the lawn. You will often see them near sidewalks, curbs, driveways that are made of concrete. The concrete, as well as stone and metal, radiates the heat, making it hotter near them. This is what Chinch bugs want. The hotter the weather, the more prolific they become. The drier the conditions, the more grass they kill. Chinch bugs don’t actually eat the grass. Instead, they feed on the moisture inside the grass blades and stems.
Note the bronze hue in the turf, where Chinch Bugs are present and feeding.
When they begin taking over an area, they are detectable by the classic bronze hue they create in the turf. No other lawn issue causes this to happen, only Chinch bugs cause this. Where you see the bronze hue in the grass, this is where they are actively feeding.
During normal summers here in Texas, we’ll see them and their damage appear in mid-August. It is then that we normally see our hottest and driest weather. But within a month of that time, it begins to get cooler and we begin seeing rainfall again. Both of those factors are detrimental to the Chinch Bug. So their damage is normally minimized by the short time they are operating in.
Last year, we began seeing consistent temperatures of 100+ degrees by the first of June. We had 22 days of 100s that month, and almost a full month of 100s in July. This caused an early emergence of Chinch bugs and because it was so early, they had three full months to create their damage on our lawns.
Chinch bugs will attack Bermuda, St Augustine and Zoysia turf.
Their damage is first noticed by small areas of grass that look like they were just mowed, because it hasn’t grown since mowing though it is still quite green. The turf surrounding these areas is growing its normal rate. This is early stage Chinch Bug damage. If caught at this stage, damage can be prevented.
As the Chinch Bugs multiply, the damage becomes much more severe. Those areas that wouldn’t grow but were still green are now turning brown/bronze and becoming thinner.
There is a test you can do at home that will confirm for you that you have a Chinch bug problem. Take a coffee can, a small one will do. Go to the area where you believe Chinch bugs could be present. Tap the coffee can into the ground about 1/4 inch in that area. Fill the can with soapy water. If you have Chinch bugs they will float to the top and are visible to the naked eye.
To address the Chinch bug problem, spray during daylight hours using any product that contains the ingredient “Bifenthren.” There are many products that utilize this chemical. It is a contact kill, meaning you need to hit the insect with the chemical to kill it. This is fairly easy to do using a sprayer/liquid application because the Chinch bugs spend their day on the blades of the grass, feeding. They’re pretty easy to hit.
Once you’ve treated, you will notice improvement in your lawn over the next several weeks. However, understand that your neighbors may have their own Chinch bug problem and therefore, those Chinch could migrate over to your place. A second treatment at some point may be necessary.
Watering settings
In Texas, we can get away with watering at night from June through end of August. Our nights are warm, in the 80s for much of that time. No homeowner living in Texas will see a lawn fungus during June/July/August. It just won’t happen.
Watering at night pays dividends during the summer. If you’re watering and start your cycles at 6 am, its only two hours before the sun is up again and evaporating that moisture right back out of the lawn. However, if you start your watering at 11 p.m. at night, the water and plants/grass get to spend up to 8-9 hours together. This provides opportunity for plants and grass to heal themselves and grow more easily and efficiently.
On Labor Day, we will change our starting times back to mornings so that we can avoid fungus starting in our lawns.
Blade Height
The height at which you cut your grass has everything to do with how healthy your lawn will be. If you cut your turf short during July and August, you will have to water more often in order to keep your turf alive. The sunlight is able to hit the soil surface in short grass, causing increased evaporation.
This causes stress in the lawn AND higher water bills.
Raise your blade to have a 3.5 inch or 4 inch cut. Grass kept taller can look just as nice as shorter grass. And grass kept taller during July and August will be twice as green as the short grass.
Also, make sure your blade is sharp. This is critical during the hot months. A dull blade tears the grass and causes stress. A sharp blades cuts the grass, keeping it healthy.
I do recommend watering after mowing. The water will keep the ends of your blades from fraying in the heat.
