Identifying Turfgrass Pests in Wisconsin
- Weed Wrangler
- May 31, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 30, 2023
Pictured up top are the White Grub and Japanese Beetle. Below them are the Sod Webworm, "Sod Webworm Moth", and the Chinch Bug.
White Grubs are one of the most notorious lawn pests here in Wisconsin. The White Grub turns into the Japanese Beetle as an adult. White Grubs do damage to the turf, while Japanese Beetles will ravage your trees and bushes. This is why white grubs need to be dealt with as soon as the signs appear. Signs can include finding white grubs in the lawn, brown or yellow grass, grass feeling spongey as you walk upon it, and being able to roll patches of your grass up like a carpet with your hands. Skunks will dig in your lawn looking for grubs to eat. If you notice any of these white grub signs, contact us as soon as possible to discuss an immediate curative treatment and prevention for next season. If you'd like to be proactive, we'd recommend getting the preventative application each year to prevent the widespread damage from even beginning. In a previous job of mine, I will never forget the customer we had with 4 acres of lawn that we notified had grubs. He decided to risk it and decline treatment, and next month that I showed up for fertilizer and weed control treatment, the entire property was covered in grub damage. That is when he decided to treat the grubs, but the widespread damage was already done, and they would take years to fully eradicate. Treating during the first signs of damage can prevent disasters like this from happening.
Pictured above is grub damage mixed with heavy damage from skunks digging for them.
Another common lawn pest in Wisconsin is the Sod Webworm. The webworms grow up and turn into brown or white moths that fly around your lawn. If you notice a significant amount of moths flying around your lawn when you mow or walk around the property, you likely have sod webworms. You will also be able to find the webworms' silky webbing in your lawn. It is easily seen in the morning when you can see the dew upon the white silk. You may also notice small brown spots in the lawn from grass that has been chewed down. These spots will likely get larger as the climate gets warmer and drier, which leads many people to mistake sod webworm damage for drought stress. If you ever have any inclination that you may have Sod Webworms in your lawn, just give us a call or text. We will come out to evaluate and let you know whether it is indeed Sod Webworms, a fungal disease, or just some thirsty turf.
Pictured above is Sod Webworm damage on a residential lawn.
The final common lawn pest we will discuss today is the Chinch Bug. These tiny bugs suck the juices out of grass blades and poison the grass in the process. If you have chinch bugs, small random brown patches of grass may appear in early June and become larger as the summer goes on. Like sod webworm damage, chinch bug damage is often confused with drought stress. A Weed Wrangler lawn care professional can tell the difference for you. We will come out and evaluate for free.
Pictured above is chinch bug damage. Notice the irregular blotches of damage.
Finding out you have insect damage on your lawn is no fun, but with quick action to combat the early damage, you will soon be bug (and stress) free. Give us a call or text and we will come out to evaluate any damage you've noticed for free! We hope to determine that it isn't insect damage, but if it is, rest assured Weed Wrangler can take care of that problem for you.