Question
My front yard has large patches of dead grass. Originally I thought it might be a result of grubs, but dug down and didn't see any larvae or grub worms. The condition is worsening and now I've noticed pencil-eraser size holes throughout the dry areas. Do you know what this is and how to prevent or stop it?
Answer(s)
I suspect the holes you see in the dry areas may be made by emerging lawn pests, such as billbug, but I'm not sure. The holes may also be from bird beaks as they forage for insects (yay, birds!) Here are some hints on how to scout and diagnose for billbugs and other lawn pests: Dig up a 6 by 6 inch square of your turfgrass, including 2 inches of soil, put it in a bucket and pull it apart, looking for any insects or larvae. Collect any/all you find. Identify the insects by referring to these USU Extension Fact Sheets:
Billbugs, at
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/ENT-106-07.pdf
White grubs, at
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/ENT-104-07.pdf
Sod webworm, at
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/ENT-44-07.pdf
Cranberry girdler, at
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/ENT-42-07.pdf
There's only one generation of billbug per year, they may be emerging as adults about now. Most of the damage is already done for the year, so if you don't find any pests in the turf sample, wait until next May to treat for the pests. Once summer cools off (highs in the 80's), you should fertilize the affected areas to promote new growth and vigor, to repair the damage. Also, be sure to check the thickness of the thatch layer in your turf. If it's thicker than one-half inch, plan to have your lawn core aerated in early fall. Aeration helps promote thatch decomposition. Thatch is a protective habitat for the billbug, so it's best to minimize it.
Other Questions In This Topic
- Do you have some pruning tips for ornamental and shade trees?
- When will my flowering shrubs bloom, and when should I prune them and my evergreens?
- I am in West Valley city, and for the past 3 years my grass has looked really good, and last year, the entire front park lane died, and I now have large areas in the front yard that are dead as well. I have heard of grubs, however I have no idea how to identify what is going on with the grass or how to treat it. You can pull up larges patches of grass easily, there don't appear to be any roots in some areas and I would like my grass to be pretty again. What can you recommend?
- What tasks should I be doing now in my orchard?
- Does it help to aerate in the spring and fall? Also if there is a lot of dead grass and thatch build up would it be beneficial to power rake in the spring?
- Our grass is dying and we suspect a worm/grub problem since we have seen some yellowish worms come up when we have raked the thatch layer. When is the best time to treat to kill the worms? What is best to kill them if we don't know exactly what species they are? How long after treatment can we prepare and plant new grass seed?
- How and when can I transplant small, 6-12 inch and medium, 5 ft joshua trees? The latter is more important at this point since it would be a shame to lose it.
- I have a lawn full of spiders. When I go to the flowers beds, probably a 100 spiders run out of the grass and bed. The spiders are about 3/8 of an inch long and dark brown. I would just like to get rid of them. What is the best approach?