Lawn Pests

Fire Ant

Description: Fire Ant colonies contain workers of different sizes ranging from 1/8″ to 1/4″ in length. They are generally uniform in color and are dark brown to red.

Seasonality: Year-round, may swarm several times from spring to fall.

Attractions: These ants are attracted to warm, humid environments with annual rainfall of 10” or more. The most recognizable sign of a Fire Ant infestation is the dome shaped mounds they create in the ground and the protective behavior of workers who pour out of disturbed mounds to attack and sting intruders. AVOID THESE MOUNDS and call a professional immediately for treatment.

Damage: People, pets and other animals unknowingly disturb their mounds and are quickly covered with stinging ants. Significant illness and deaths have occurred from allergic reactions to their venom. Fire ant venom is unique in the insect world as it produces an immediate and painful stinging, burning sensation. Later, white pustules will form on the skin at the site of the sting.

SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY IF SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION OCCURS

Chinch Bug

Description: Chinch Bugs are 1/8″ to 1/10″ long. They have black bodies and white, shiny wings which fold on their backs.

Seasonality: March through November in central Florida and year-round in southern Florida.

Attractions: Chinch bugs eat plant and grass roots, especially from St Augustine grass lawns. Chinch bugs are the number one pest of St. Augustine grass. Chinch bugs eat the roots of grass, creating yellow spots in the turf, which grow larger over time.

Damage: Infested plants and grass have slower growth, turn yellow, and eventually die.

Grubs

Description: Grubs are ¼” to 2″ depending on their age. They are creamy white, C-shaped, with tan heads and six legs.

Seasonality: Year-round in Florida with larvae hatching in late May to June.

Attractions: Grass and tree roots.

Damage: Grass thins, yellows, and eventually dies in patches where the grubs have eaten away the root system. The turf may feel soft and spongy in damaged areas. Scattered brown patches in the grass will appear, indicating dead areas with no root system. A grub infestation can quickly eradicate your lawn if left untreated.

Moles

Description: Moles are mammals and have rounded bodies about 6” in length. They are covered with soft black or gray fur and have pointed muzzles. Their tiny eyes are sensitive to changes in light level but provide little visual acuity. Moles have short, powerful legs and extremely broad front feet, which are used as shovels and are equipped with enormous digging claws.

Attractions: Moles are highly attracted to grubs. Grubs and worms are their main food source. By eliminating grubs from your lawn you can significantly decrease the likelihood of having a mole problem.

Damage: Moles burrow through lawns and create molehills, which can kill a lawn. They can also burrow through plant roots, which causes root damage and can sometimes lead to the death of the plant.

Mole Crickets

Description: Mole Crickets are 1″ to 1 ½” long and resemble a common cricket. They have long rear legs, are grayish brown in color and have a slightly darker head.

Seasonality: Year-round.

Attractions: Mole crickets can eat plants but their preferred food source is Bahia Grass and Bermuda Grass. The most common evidence of Mole Crickets is piles of soil on the surface of grass. These piles are created when the crickets drill through the sod. You may also see small clumps of grass on the surface, severed as a result of the same drilling activity.

Damage: The drilling action of Mole Crickets severs the roots and uproots individual grass plants. If you have an infestation, it’s best to mark the areas for future reference and treatment, as this pest returns to the same spot year after year.

Fall Army Worms

Description: Fall Army Worms are moth caterpillars. They are 1″-2″ long and about the size of a #2 pencil in width when fully grown. They may be light tan to shades of gray or green. The head is usually shiny black or brown, with a prominent yellow or white inverted Y marking on the front. The body has stripes and many black, round, mole-like structures.

Seasonality: Spring to fall with peak activity in June through September.

Attractions: Corn, cotton, peanuts and other crops, pasture and turf. They prefer to feed on foliage and grass but can also attack stems and roots. Females lay their eggs on the underside of leaves and cover the egg sacks with soft, yellow material, which looks and feels furry. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the plants and grass close to their hatch area.

Damage: Swift movers and voracious eaters, they can strip a shrub overnight if they are moving in large numbers. Their damage is equally extensive to grass where they will strip the grass blades completely.

Sod Web Worms

Description: Sod webworms are moth caterpillars. Webworms grow to a length of nearly ¾” and vary in color from pinkish white to yellowish brown with a light to dark brown or black head. They are covered with fine hairs.

Seasonality: Spring to fall.

Attractions: Grasses, plants, golf courses, and ornamental turfs are highly susceptible to Sod Web Worms. Moths rest in shrubbery during daylight hours and fly over the grass in early evening, depositing eggs on the lawn as they fly.

Damage: Brown spots and raggedly chewed grass blades are the first sign of damage. Large areas of grass may be damaged severely and a heavy infestation can destroy a lawn in only a few days.