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Summer is around the corner and now more than ever your lawn is going to be a central part of your family’s life. Going outside and getting some fresh air while sitting on your lawn in one of the great pleasures of being a homeowner. But what happens when you do everything right in caring for your lawn but it is inexplicably dying?
No, you’re not going crazy. Chances are you have one of two things happening to your lawn. You either have a disease or an infestation. Don’t worry, there are ways to make your lawn luscious and green once more. First, you need to identify what exactly is going wrong. Let’s take a detailed look at how to identify what is going wrong before calling for professional lawn care in West Palm Beach.
Your lawn could get a disease for a number of reasons. Different types of grass can be impacted by a variety of things. Living in Florida makes things especially difficult since temperature and moisture level are two of the biggest factors behind what causes lawn diseases. Let’s take a look at some of the common ones that impact lawns in South Florida:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXVUlybfXdg
Typically found between the months of November and May, brown patch fungus can develop whenever temperatures drop below 80 degrees. The infection occurs whenever there is excessive rainfall, overwatering, or extended periods of high humidity that results in wet grass for more than 48 hours. This fungus infects the grass at the leaf, closest to the soil. It eventually kills the leaf and leaves a dark, rotten look to your lawn. Thankfully, this disease doesn’t impact the roots.
Brown patch fungus starts in small brown or straw-colored patches that are about a foot in diameter. These patches can expand to several feet and even appear in rings that have healthy grass in the center of them. It is important to care careful steps to avoid it spreading more.
Only water the grass when it is necessary and in the early morning hours when dew is still present. If you mow your own lawn, save infected patches for last to prevent spreading it to healthy areas. The fungus was triggered by too much moisture and not enough evaporation, so it is important to never overwater your lawn.
While all types of turfgrass can be impacted by this disease, the one that gets infected the most is Bermuda grass. This is a type of fungus that can exist in a wide range of temperatures, which means that the disease can occur at any point of the year. While it is theoretically possible to happen year-round, it is most commonly seen in mild and wet times during the winter months.
Leaf spot symptoms can vary depending on the type of grass you have, but more often than not it can first be identified by pinhead-sized solid brown spots. The spots can also appear to be more purple or black in color at times. When the infection gets severe, the leaves turn purple and eventually die and dry out to a light tan color. If you notice this occurring in your lawn, call a professional immediately.
Diseases aren’t the only thing that can damage your lawn. More often than not, if something is wrong with your lawn it is one of these pests. Florida’s varied climate allows for a wide variety of pests to exist and it’s lack of cold season prevents a natural culling of the population that northern states experience. Now that you know what you’re up against, let’s take a look at how to identify what might be infesting your lawn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcB66kc9o9E
If you have spent any time at all in the state of Florida, chances are you have come across one of these annoying critters before. The Southern Chinch Bug is by far one of the most common insects found in the southern United States. They particularly love St. Augustine grass and according to the University of Florida, they do millions of dollars in damager to lawns every year.
Chinch Bugs are easy to identify. When they are adults, they have black bodies, long wings, and white spots on their wings when they fly. As juveniles, they have more of a reddish-orange hue to their bodies. You see them more often than adults because female chinch bugs lay over 250 eggs in their lifecycle, averaging around four per day.
Both mature and juvenile chinch bugs feed off of grass and move in swarms. They cluster in one area, feeding on the grass until it is all eaten up and moving onto the next patch or lawn. Given that they are a hardy bug that can survive in the cold, chinch bug colonies don’t die off in the winter with seasonal changes. Given that the average adult chinch bug can live for up to 70 days, they can do a lot of damage to your lawn.
Mole crickets aren’t just a bug you can sell for 500 bells to Timmy and Tommy in Animal Crossing, they are actually an incredibly destructive invasive species of insect that can severely damage your lawn. They especially wreak havoc on lawns in Florida, with three different sub-species thriving in the state. Unlike other pests in the area, mole crickets are relatively new to the area. They first arrived in America in the late 1800s and have taken over warm areas. They are most prominently seen in central Florida, where they are known to do the most damage.
All species of mole cricket can thrive above and below ground. They are active year-round with adult mole crickets laying eggs in the spring. They are mostly nocturnal and remain underground in their tunnels. Unlike chinch bugs, mole crickets feed on both the leaves and roots of grass making them the most destructive lawn pest you can encounter.
You can recognize a mole cricket infestation by patches of dead grass, mounds of soil they leave at their tunnel entrances, and from high vantage points, you can spot their tunnel outlines. These tunnels allow for loose soil and erosion issues too, in addition to other issues. Given that these crickets are food for predators and live underground, animals like birds and raccoons will rip up your lawn trying to get a tasty treat.
This pest is almost impossible to exterminate for homeowners. It is best to contact a professional lawn care company that also handles pest control. They will be able to take care of the issue without destroying your lawn.
When it comes to lawn care in West Palm Beach, you want someone that can handle all of the problems that homeowners face in Florida. Some lawn care companies don’t know how to handle bug infestations and most pest control companies might not have your lawn’s best interest at heart. This is why you need O’Hara Pest Control. Not only are we trained professionals in the art of lawn care, but we are also synonymous with the best pest control in the area. Contact us today for more information.
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