Five Signs Your Lawn Has a Bug Problem
When you spend countless hours grooming and manicuring your lawn, you want it to look its best, even during its dormant season. However, the minions of Mother Nature can swing the battle between humans and nature and wreak havoc on your verdant carpet as well as cause problems for family and guests when trying to enjoy the outdoors – either great or small.
Remaining ever vigilant is the best approach for spotting pest invasions, allowing you to act swiftly and decisively in order to regain control of your outdoor living area. To better help you in your efforts, here are five signs that your lawn is under siege.
- There are patches of yellow or brown dotting the landscape. In many instances, this may be a sign of Chinch bugs, Greenbug aphids, different species of white grubs, or other invasive species; they can attack your lawn at the surface or below at the roots.
- Your lawn is the restaurant of choice for various avian or ground-dwelling animals. A flock of birds poking and pecking at your lush green is not a natural aeration technique – they are feasting on the abundant splendor in the grass. Swaths of torn up lawn indicate raccoons, armadillos, skunks, or other insect-loving critters are digging in for an evening meal.
- You can reach down and pull up chunks of lawn, or easily roll it up and put it away for storage. If you have this problem, the enemy is grubs or insects living below, eating away at your grass roots.
- You find mounds of dirt popping up across the green vista of your lawn. This is a sure sign of fire ants. These troublesome arthropods not only damage the yard, they drive out beneficial insects. In addition, they are a threat to the health of humans and pets as some may have severe allergic reactions to their bites.
- Speaking of bites, if you notice bite marks on your feet and ankles, or the lower appendages of anyone who has trod across your lawn, you may want to take action. Chiggers, fleas, fire ants, and chinch bugs will quickly become the bane of your existence if they are allowed to grow and prosper.
Fortunately, getting rid of these pests is not a difficult process, and there are numerous resources available. Local landscaping or pest control companies can come on site and administer a series of treatments to eradicate the insidious invaders. Once they have finished they, and your local lawn and garden supply store, can help you initiate a proactive treatment program to prevent the problem pests from returning.