The Online Gardener's Handbook
2010
Chapter 7: Lawns
Insect Development Calendar for Lawns
Table of Contents
Introduction
Both insects and diseases can attack your lawn, and though their symptoms can be similar, their control measures are quite different. It is important, therefore, that you properly identify the source of your lawn problem.
Several different insects can infest lawns; the type of damage they cause results from the type of feeding they do and what part of the plant they feed on. Insects such as grubs feed on the roots. As a result the lawn can be lifted up like a carpet. Hairy chinch bugs suck the juices from grass resulting in sunken areas in the lawn with roots still firmly attached to the grass. Secondary pests such as skunks and raccoons then dig up the lawn to eat the bugs, causing worse damage than the insects themselves.
Most insects can be seen with the naked eye. If you notice damage to your lawn, check the area surrounding the damage for their presence. Use the following information to identify and control insects. The table below shows when larval feeding and the presence of adults occur for the major lawn insects.
Table 12: Insect Development Calendar for Lawns
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