Lawn Pests
White Grubs -
Grubs are the larvae of different kinds of beetles, including May and June beetles and Asiatic, Japanese beetles and masked chaffer beetles. The grubs feed on turf roots and may kill an entire lawn. The adult beetles do not damage the lawns, but the females do lay eggs in the soil. The Asiatic, Japanese and masked chaffer beetles lay their eggs in mid-late summer and the May and June beetles lay eggs in late spring. Juvenilles cause severe damage in mid-fall. The younger the grub the more susceptible it is to insecticide. In late fall they stop eating and move deeper into the soil to overwinter. An insecticide with diazinon should do the trick. Beer traps are also effective. Sink a bowl of beer into the ground so that the lip of the bowl is at ground level. During the night the grubs will come out of the ground and will be attracted to the yeast in the beer. This is also very effective for snails and slugs in the vegetable garden.
Chinch Bug - 
These bugs love to eat turf, especially St. augustine. Both the adults and the nymphs suck the juice out of the blade. At the same time it injects a poison that causes the grass to turn brown and die. Heavy infestations may kill a lawn in days. These guys love to attack sunny areas of the lawn and rarely attack turf in shady areas. Control with diazinon, isofenphos, or chlorpyrifos. Additional treatments every two months till frost is usually necessary.
Sod Webworm - 
Several different moths with similar habits are called sod webworms, or lawn moths. These night-flying moths are the adults of this pest. Female moth drops eggs into the grass as they fly. The eggs hatch into worms that feed on grass blades at night or cloudy days. In the daytime the worm hides in white silky tubes in the soil. Sod webworms can kill an entire lawn in a few cloudy days. Rake up dead grass and water thoroughly then spray with diazinon in the evening when the pest is active. Do not cut or water lawn for 3 days after treatment.
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