Just because the weather is getting cooler and Autumn officially starts on Tuesday, September 22nd, doesn’t mean you should stop worrying about lawn pests. Grubs, Stinkbugs, and Webworms are just a few of the common autumn lawn pests in the northeast. Valley Green carries a variety of pest control products for all seasons. Our sales staff can point you to the perfect product because controlling pests in the fall can help your lawn look great in spring. Practicing pest control can also help keep common autumn lawn pests from taking winter refuge in your home.
Controlling Grubs
If you have a sudden increase of brown spots appearing on your lawn in early fall, you may have a grub infestation. Grubs like to consume grassroots and if you decided to practice some fall overseeding, grubs can easily kill new grass. Killing grubs in early fall can prevent them from burrowing deep into the soil for winter will they will go dormant and emerge to eat your spring grassroots. A good way to tell if there is an infestation is to dig up a single square foot of lawn. Find the brown and bare spots and start from there. Pull up the grass and if you find more than 10 grubs, you likely have an infestation.
Killing Webworms
Webworms are extremely easy to spot. Their large and silky nests hold larvae that will eat the leaves. Webworms often infest fruit trees but the damage to the fruit is usually minimal because they don’t spring their webs until after growing season. Healthy trees usually sustain minimal damage from webworms but damaged trees may have a harder time recovering from the damage. Several types of pesticides can control webworms but if you have a small number of trees, a stick with a nail or garden may do the trick.
Keeping Stink Bugs at Bay
Stink Bugs can pack a double whammy in the fall. Not only can they invade your house, but they can also eat autumn vegetables such as squash. Unfortunately, controlling Stink Bugs that invade your garden must start to happen in spring. If you begin to notice pin sized holes with yellowing leaves in your summer vegetables, you likely have Stink Bugs. In early spring, you’ll want to remove any large piles of debris around your yard. This will take away any hiding places for the pests. Spraying the garden early will also prevent insects from laying eggs before the summer. Stink Bugs are especially attracted to moisture, so you may want to start prevention in your basement. If you want to keep Stink Bugs out of your home, you start by simply sealing up any cracks that they can fit through.