Maintaining a perfect Florida lawn comes with a lot of potential problems. There are a few pests, in particular, that you should look out for. Lawn insects can quickly turn a healthy green lawn into something much more difficult to manage. Because lawn insects are difficult to identify, it’s important to learn which ones are most common in our area. The lawn care and pest control experts at Heron Home & Outdoor are here to help.

Common Lawn Insects in Central Florida

Our climate is ideal for many types of pests year-round, including lawn insects. The most common ones we deal with include:

1. Chinch Bugs absolutely love St. Augustine grass. They are tiny, less than 1/8^th of an inch long, and have black bodies with white wings. Chinch bugs attack your lawn by sucking the liquid out of grass blades. In doing so, patches of grass on your lawn will dehydrate, turn yellow, then brown and die.
2. Fire Ants are known for their dark red bodies and burning, itching stings. These can be particularly dangerous for those who are allergic as they can cause anaphylaxis. Their main identifier is the dirt mounds you’ll find on your lawn. When disrupted, the ants will race out and attack. It’s important to catch fire ants in time, as they can create underground tunnel systems that will leave your lawn weak and damaged.
3. Mole Crickets are particularly disruptive to the root structure of your grass. They feed on and chew through the grassroots, causing your grass to die off. When dealing with mole crickets, your grass will feel spongy when stepped on and be covered with brown patches. Because the grass lacks roots, individual blades will be easily pulled.
4. Sod Webworms chew through small areas of grass. They create tunnels out of their silky web that will run under the grass. Signs to look for include raggedly-chewed grass and smaller brown spots- around the size of a baseball. However, if a large infestation is present, they can destroy a whole lawn in a few days.
5. Armyworms are small caterpillars that grow into moths. The females lay up to a thousand eggs at once in patches of fresh grass. These can hatch as quickly as 2 days. To spot these guys, you’ll want to look on the outside of dead or damaged grass areas. The grass will look as if it’s alive as they move. Their swift reproduction rate makes these guys a major lawn hazard.

How to Get Rid of Lawn Pests

If you notice any signs of a lawn pest, be sure to call a professional immediately as damage can happen before you know it. At Heron Home & Outdoor, we offer free same-day inspections! Contact us today for your free same-day inspection and we’ll get your lawn looking great again with our top-notch lawn care services.