Lawn Damaging Insects

The world of insects is enormous. Most insects pose no threat to plants or grass. However, there are a few lawn insects that can cause serious damage to grass.

Some lawn insects infest the soil and attack the lawn roots, some feed on the grass blades, while others suck juice from the grass blades. Some of the more common lawn insects that can cause damage to Utah lawns include various root, crown, and leaf-feeding insects such as caterpillars; white grubs (which are the larvae of several beetle species); billbugs (which are weevils with white, grub like larvae); and sod webworm, armyworms, cutworms also damage Utah lawns.

Surface Feeding Insects

Sod Webworm

Sod Webworms are the larvae of lawn months. They are light-colored moths, which make short, erratic, darting flights above the lawn and are attracted to lights at night. When resting they fold their wings back closely against their bodies, which gives them a very narrow appearance. These lawn moths lay their eggs in the lawn. In the early evening, they fly over the grass and the females scatter eggs over the lawn. As soon as they are hatched, the larva (Sod Webworm) start feeding on the grass leaves. Sod webworms produce 2-3 generations each year; therefore, the damage is likely to increase as the summer wears on.

Armyworm

Armyworms are also the larvae of moths. They are 1-1/2 inches long; they are greenish and have blackish stripes along each side and down the center of the back. The adults (moths) are brownish gray. Their wings measure about 1-1/2 inches across when expanded. Their feeding causes circular bare areas in lawns.

Cutworm

Cutworms are dull-brown, gray or nearly black caterpillars and are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long. Some cutworms are spotted, others are striped. Usually they hide in the soil during the day and feed at night. They are the larvae of night-flying brown or grayish moths. Cutworms infest lawns occasionally. They feed on the leaves or cut off the grass near the soil.

Billbug

Billbugs feed on stems and grass leaves. Also see Subsurface feeding insects for more information on Billbugs.

Subsurface Feeding Insects

Subsurface feeding insects are primarily grubs. There are many types of grubs that damage lawns and we can control all of them with our preventative insect application.

Billbug

Billbugs - The young, or grubs, are small and white, and have hard brown or yellow heads. They feed on the roots of grass. Adult billbugs are beetles 1/5 to 3/4 inch long. They have long snouts, or bills that carry at the tip a pair of strong jaws or mandibles with which the beetles chew their food. The beetles burrow in the grass stems near the surface of the soil and also feed on the leaves.

Grub

Grubs are the larvae of various beetle species. They are fat, white with brown heads, have prominent legs with curved bodies measuring up to 1 inch long. Grubs eat the roots of grasses, causing the turf to turn brown and die. Most species require 2-3 years to reach maturity, but some, including the Japanese beetle have a 1-year life cycle. Grub-infested turf will be loose and can easily be pulled back to expose the insects.

Guardian LLC, DBA Guardian Pest & Lawn provides Lawn Insect Control in the following areas:

Utah – Utah County, Salt Lake County, Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Draper, Eagle Mountain, Herriman, Highland, Lehi, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Provo, Riverton, Sandy, Saratoga Springs, South Jordan, West Jordan.