If you’ve got a beautiful lawn, you’d like to keep it that way. Unfortunately, even the best-tended properties can suffer from common bugs in Texas that attack plants and grass.
No matter which types of insects in Texas are harming your lawn, there is no need to despair. You can take steps to mitigate the damage done by these creatures and protect your plant life.
5 Common Pests in Texas that Destroy Your Lawn
The following common lawn bugs will slowly destroy your lawn if not kept in check. Learn more about these bugs that kill your grass, and how to get rid of them.
Aphids
Experts identify aphids as a common pest that likes to attach themselves to several plants including roses, vegetables, oaks, and bedding plants. Only 1/16″ to 1/8″ long, they can be tough to spot.
You can identify Aphids by the sticky “honeydew” they leave behind and the black fungus it attracts. This evidence will be found under the leaves of your plants and will be obvious.
How to Get Rid of Aphids in My Yard
Natural solutions include introducing ladybugs, lacewings and other “good” insects into the infested area. Sometimes spraying your plants with water will dislodge these pests if the infestation is not too large. For bigger infestations, you may need professional help.
Fire Ants
Visitors to Texas always remember their introduction to fire ants given that their stings are so painful. They set up their colonies in open areas that get lots of sun. While fire ants do not harm the grass, their ant hills mar the appearance of your lawn, and their stings will drive humans off their lawn chairs and back into the house.
How to Get Rid of Fire Ants in My Yard
Suggested solutions include pouring boiling water on each mound, releasing nematodes (tiny worms) to your lawn, or using pesticides in the form of bait.
Fleas
Fleas are not just a problem for dogs and cats. A flea infestation in your lawn can torture humans as well. Your pet didn’t “catch” fleas inside the house. They got them from outside or from another animal who got them while outside.
Experts recommend checking any place on your property that is shady, damp and warm. To find their exact locations, try wearing white socks while you stroll outside. The small black bloodsuckers will be easy to see on the fabric. They are most likely to be found around the garden, under trees, and near fences.
How to Get Rid of Fleas in My Yard
You can try natural methods to end this infestation, such as using nematodes, which will eat flea larvae and the larvae of other pests but will not harm humans or pets. You can also try cedar chips and outdoor flea bombs. For big infestations, you may need help from a Houston lawn and landscape professional.
Chinch Bugs
These pests will attack your lawn, especially St. Augustine grass. They will eat Bermuda and zoysia grass as well. If you have a chinch bug problem, you will find patches of dead grass often encircled by yellow dying grass. You can find them on the grass blades in these areas.
How to Get Rid of Chinch Bugs in My Yard
Chinch bugs may be controlled by natural predators such as birds and “big-eyed” bugs. If that approach doesn’t work, you can try insecticidal soaps or seek out a professional Houston lawn care service for help.
Sod Webworms
Sod Webworms are small green worms that turn into small brown moths, and they might be the culprit of a browning yard. Sod webworms in Houston are common and are attracted to healthy new grass. These Texas lawn pests are most active in the early morning or late evening.
You can identify the sod webworms with a flashlight during the late evening hours. The affected grass will appear to have a web layer over it.
How to Get Rid of Sod Webworms in My Yard
You can use a liquid or solid insecticide for Sod webworm treatment in Houston. Several types will work but feel free to contact our commercial lawn care experts for more information.
Houston Lawn Bug Extermination and Control
If your Houston area commercial lawn is suffering from bug or pest infestation, call our experts. We will identify the issue and recommend the best pest control treatment solution for your situation.
Our lawn care experts know everything about these pests that attack your grass and plants.