Frequently asked Pest and Disease Questions

From: T. Palmer - Wauconda, Illinois - Nov. 24, 1997

Problem: I had read using a mixture of 70% Epsom salts & 30% diatomaceous earth will help control snails & slugs in damp grass & develop strong root growth. Unfortunately the amount to apply on the lawn was never given. Would you happen to know how much I should use?

Solution:  It is true that Epsom salt promotes root growth and dehydrates snails/slugs and diatomaceous earth works by irritating the soft skin of the slug or snail. Both products are fairly mild and there is alot of altitude on how much to apply. I would think that a rate of 1 pound per 100 sq. ft. would be fine. Be careful too much Epsom salt and the water will be sucked out of your lawns roots. There is another method that I have used with some success. Moisten some dry dog food. Before dusk place small piles of the food about every ten feet. Later in the night or very early in the morning go out and collect the food which should be covered with the snails and slugs. Unfortunately it can attract raccoons and other animals so it is a one time treatment at best.

From: Jack Lenox - Chicago, Illinois USA - Sept. 29 1997

Problem: I began removing grass for a planting bed and found grubworms just beneath the surface. I have not yet seen any brown spots or dead grass. what is the most effective way to eliminate them?
Solution: Grubs are fairly common in lawns this time of year. The eggs laid by the adults in mid-late summer have hatched and are now feeding aggressively before hibernating for the winter. Use an insecticide containing diazinon and water 2 hours after application to achieve good penetration into the root zone. There is new product out called Grubex.© that supposedly kills even the most resistant grubs.

I have heard of a spray that contains: dish soap, tobasco juice, whiskey and chewless tobacco juice. It is from the Jerry Baker PBS special. Supposedly this concoction ruins their digestive system. I do not know the exact recipe but an educated guess would be: mix approximately 1-2 tablespoons of each together( I would recommend 1 tablespoon max. on the tobasco). Add that mixture to a hose end sprayer and apply to your lawn at dusk. In theory it should work but I have never tried it myself.

Obviously the diazinon is more efficient and is a sure bet, but if you are environmentally conscience the home brew might be worth a try.

From: Chris Blecker - New Lenox, Illinois USA - Sept. 8, 1997 -Sorry, had problems sending you e-mail.

Problem: The Mystery of the Cheetos Lawn! ---We are recently experiencing some kind of orange powdery substance in/on our lawn. This is a relatively new lawn (one year old) which was planted last summer (hydroseed). We've struggled all year with this lawn. Our new home is built on a little bit of a slope and about two weeks after the hydroseed was sprayed we experienced a torrential, recordbreaking rainfall (16" in one day). Much of the lawn and top soil was lost. Over the last year we have done everything we could afford to do to rebuild the lawn.... new top soil, additional top soil, new seed, transplanted some grass which established itself pretty well in areas where it was not needed, etc. etc. Recently we spread 5 yrs of dirt/1 yd mushroom compost (recommended by local nursery) and reseeded some of the "ruts" we've been battling from the heavy occasional rains we experience in the Midwest. In the last couple of weeks we noticed our feet, shoes, and garden hoses turning bright ORANGE when we walk thru the grass to water the seedlings. Note: It's SO ORANGE, your skin and shoes look like you've been eating Cheetos with your feet! Some of the grass itself even looks quite orange, and some of it seems to be yellowing a little, but not as though it is burning up from summer heat. The orange powdery substance almost seems to behave like pollen. It washes off of skin, clothes, hoses, shoes, etc. It does appear to be affecting only certain types of grasses that are planted. I believe we have a mixture of Ky Blue, Rye, Red Fescue & a couple of other grasses (5 in all I believe). You can NOT get any visible amt on your hands just by running your hand through the grass. It seems like the water makes the orange substance stick to your hands, feet, etc. We thought maybe it was a byproduct of the compost or the seed/fertilizer we used or something but we ONLY put the seed and compost & new soil in the back yard and the orange stuff seems to be everywhere! ..... except for the neighbors of course! Another thought .... one garden hose is "softened" water, one is not. The condition exists in all areas of the lawn, whether it's where we use the softened water or not so we're ruling out a water problem. It's really a mystery to us. It looks bad, and we're concerned environmentally as well as for ourselves and grandchildren in getting it on our skin. Any help you can offer will be appreciated! Chris - suburban Chicago

Solution: What you have is a fungal infection called rust. The fungi attacks Kentucky Bluegrass, ryegrass and zoyia. The large amount of rain and slightly cooler temperatures (70-75f) cause this fungus to grow rapidly. Many consecutive mornings of heavy dew or fog also increase growth. Wind easily spreads the fungus to other areas. I'm surprised your neighbors do not have the same problem. I would recommend fertilizing your yard to boost it's immune system. Mow a little more frequently and collect clippings if possible. A fungicide containing chlorothalonil applied every two weeks is one cure. However, and it may sound crazy, if you are concerned about children and pets I would first try regular old mouthwash. Original flavor Listerine (the gold kind) is best. Use about 1 cup to a gallon of water and add to a hose-end sprayer. It acts as a natural disinfectant. I have not read anything on rust's harmfulness to humans but I'm sure it is not healthy. It is possible severe cases could cause respiratory problems, but that is only my guess (I'm not a doctor). If the mouthwash does not work, go the garden center and get the heavy duty fungicide

From: John Penner - near Hamilton,Ontario - Canada - July 29, 1997

Problem: I found your home page but the information did not match my problem. what I have is small hills of dirt that are deposited above a hole about ¼ inch dia. that goes down more than a spade depth. This builds up around the bottom of the grass plants and makes for a very rough lawn. Any information that you can give me would be very appreciated. I live in southern Ontario, near Hamilton, on fairly hard clay soil.

Solution: I’m not sure of the cause by my two guesses would be ants or earthworms. If the piles of soil are grainy it’s ants in your lawn, and can be fixed with diazinon, if the piles are muddy it is probably earthworms don’t worry they are beneficial to the soil and plants. I can not think of any other insect that would produce the deposits you are describing. I hope I was some help

From: Donna Petrusha - Schaumburg, Illinois - USA- July 28, 1997

Problem: We have a flowering crab apple tree. It had tremendous blossoms in the spring. Now, after the long cold spring, the extreme heat and dryness has us sweltering. Some of the leaves on the tree have turned yellow and fallen off. Others have dark spots. We're not sure if this is a disease or if it's weather related. This tree is about six years old. It was planted at the Northeast corner of our house, just at the edge of where the land has about a 30% drop. The soil at the tree base seems to have eroded somewhat and now the tree is slightly tilting, but the roots are not exposed.. We were contemplating building a retaining wall, and building up the soil, but I heard that burying the roots too far could kill the tree. Can you help? Where do we start?

Solution: The yellowing leaves and dark spots sound very much like scab. Scab is a plant disease caused by fungus. The fungus usually comes from decaying plant material on the ground. In the spring, spores are blown into the air and infect moist leaves, which then form dark spots. These dark spots then produce more spores which accelerates the process. --- Scab is very common with crabapples and a cure is very rare. The best thing to do is clean up planting beds in the fall. Remove all fallen leaves and fruit, but leave the mulch layer. Or you can spray the tree with a fungicide and insecticide(insects help spread spores). Go to your local nursery with an infected leaf sample to make sure it is scab and find out what spray they would recommend. The yellowing leaves dropping off is common for crabapples, the stress of the fungal infection and hot temperatures has weakened the plant. --- A retaining wall sounds like a good idea. I would not bury the roots more than 4 inches, because it can suffocate the roots and also force a rapid growth of unsightly suckers at ground level.--- My plan of attack would be to water the tree then wait a day and give it a half-strength fertilizing, than build the wall and raise the grade as soon as possible. Do not bury the roots more than 4 inches than each year in the spring add just alittle more mulch until you have slowly brought the grade up to where you want it. Oh, and good luck!

From: Albert Pollard - Sanford, Maine - USA - May 25, 1997

Problem: I have a few dwarf pear trees that have a thickened, black growths on the younger branches. The leaves stopped growing last year and many fell off. Is this fire blight? Is fire blight a bacterial infection? How do you get rid of it? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Solution: Yes, it does sound like you have fire blight. Fire blight is a bacteria, Erwinia amylovora, to be specific. Alot of fruiting trees are susceptible to this bacteria but it does not always mean death for the plant. Since it is still fairly early in the growing season prune off all infected branches 12" back from infected areas. Sterilize saws and pruners afterwards with alcohol or bleach (if you want to be thorough sterlize after each cut). Keep a close eye on the tree this year and prune again in late fall if needed, chances are it will slowly spread throughout the summer. Apply copper sulfate next spring before blossoms emerge. You will probably need repeat applications to ensure the infection is gone. The infection will infect young shoots first so reduce the amount of nitrogen in your fertilizer to prevent new growth. Some varieties that are fairly resistant are: Dutchess, Garber, Orient and Seckel

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