Pest control helps preserve the health and vitality of your lawn by managing and preventing damage from insects and moles, says Ratner Management team. Certain pests can attract other predators, leading to secondary infestations or imbalances in the ecosystem of your lawn. Here are some factors to help you determine whether you need pest control from your lawn care service provider:
Types of Pests
Grubs are creamy-white, C-shaped larvae that feed on grassroots, leading to brown patches of dead or dying grass. Grub infestations can attract animals like skunks, raccoons, and birds, which may dig up the lawn in search of grubs. Ants, such as fire ants and pavement ants, can establish colonies in lawns, creating unsightly mounds and disrupting the soil. Moles burrow their tunnels beneath the surface, creating mounds while damaging grassroots.
Armyworms, chinch bugs, and billbugs can also infest your lawn and spread within a short time. Pest control professionals use physical barriers or traps to prevent pests from accessing the property or to capture and remove existing pests. This may include sealing cracks and gaps in buildings to prevent entry or installing screens on windows and doors.
Damage Caused
Chinch bugs feed on grass blades by piercing them and sucking out the plant juices. They often cause yellowing or browning patches of grass in hot, dry weather. Billbug larvae feed on grass roots, leading to thinning in the turf. Armyworms feed on grass blades and can quickly ruin large areas of a lawn if left unchecked. Snails feed on grass blades and create holes, deteriorating your lawn.
Moles tunnel through lawns, damaging grassroots and creating pathways that expose soil and make it susceptible to erosion. To manage such risks, schedule a lawn care service appointment with experts who use biological control as part of the integrated pest management method. This may include introducing nematodes that prey on or compete with ants, grubs, armyworms, billbugs, and chinch bugs.
Previous Infestations
If you’ve had pest problems in the past, you might need pest control experts to inspect your lawn and implement preventative measures. Pest control professionals conduct regular inspections of your property to identify signs of pest activity or conditions conducive to infestations. These inspections involve examining the interior and exterior of your property, including crawl spaces, basements, and outdoor areas.
Experts can pinpoint potential entry points, nesting sites, and areas with high moisture or food sources that attract pests. They may install monitoring devices including bait stations, sticky traps, or pheromone traps to detect early signs of pest activity. Pest control experts can also suggest improving ventilation and eliminating sources of food or water that pests rely on for survival.
Environmental Impact
When scheduling pest control services, determine the environmental impact of these methods. Chemical pesticide runoff can leach into groundwater or nearby bodies of water, affecting aquatic ecosystems and wildlife. Work with reputable pest control companies that use eco-friendly methods, such as biological control pesticides, natural products, and mechanical control methods.
Implementing practices that promote healthy soil and plant growth, such as proper irrigation, mulching, crop rotation, and companion planting helps reduce pest pressure. Using plant-derived pesticides or repellents can irritate pests, such as moles, and make them flee. Mechanical control methods include picking pests such as snails and beetles from the lawn manually.
Seek Quality Lawn Care Services for Pests
Pest control experts will assess your property to identify the type of pest, the extent of the infestation, and the conditions conducive to pest activity. After identification, they implement an integrated pest management approach which may entail biological control, cultural practices, and mechanical control methods. Book an appointment for lawn care services to enhance your lawn’s health today.