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Pest Control

Pest Control Tips for Controlling Chinch Bugs in Clearwater

• Maintain a thick, healthy yard in an effort to minimize chinch bugs infestations.
• Have your property professionally sprayed to provide nutrients and to protect it against weeds, disease and insects.
• Cut your grass properly. Be sure the blade is sharp and that the grass is three inches tall after cutting.
• Have your St Augustine or Bahiagrass grass verticut every few years so as to reduce thatch. A yard with heavy thatch inhibits the delivery of insect control products.
• Always feel free to call us for free advice and tips on caring for your yard.

More About Chinch Bugs

Chinch bugs are about 1/5th of an inch in length and have wings that fold flat on their back forming a black and white triangular pattern. Their favorite meal is your lawn! They pierce the lower sections of the grass with their needle like mouth parts and draw out nourishment. As a consequence of this feeding, they secrete a toxin that kills the grass. They like to start eating at the edge of the lawn forming a semi-rounded irregular pattern as they move toward the middle of the lawn.

How to Tell if I need Pest Control for Chinch Bugs

There are a number of ways to tell that are very simple. The easiest way is to go to the margin area where the grass transitions from brown to green. Spread the grass apart and get a close look at the base of the grass where the roots go into the ground. Keep the grass spread apart and hold still to see if there is any movement of insects that look like those pictured above. Infestations are easy to identify because they feed in groups. Examine several areas if chinch bugs are not immediately found.

Should I do Lawn Spraying for Chinch Bugs

Call us as soon as possible for a free estimate or to have us spray the lawn spray. Because they feed in groups, chinch bugs are predators and will cause permanent damage quickly if the lawn goes untreated. Although you can treat for this problem yourself, it is best to have a State Certified Technician from Swat Exterminating apply the product so it is not applied too strong causing further damage to the grass. Evenly distributed insecticide at the proper strength is the key to successful control.

Chinch Bug Routines

Tiny eggs are laid in the leaf sheaths. Eggs hatch in about 10 days and nymphs mature in about three weeks. Chemical control usually does not affect the eggs, so secondary spraying may be necessary. All life stages are present all year in Florida and there may be as many as ten generations per year weather permitting. Chinch bugs usually occur in open, sunny areas, especially drought-stressed areas near sidewalks and driveways. Verticutting your lawn every few years reduces thatch and better enables the delivery of water, nutrient and needed insect control products. Always feel free to call Swat Exterminating if you have any questions. We will be happy to help you with easy solutions to resolve problems and give your yard stunning curb appeal.

Pest Prevention for Sod Web Worms or Lawn Moths

• Maintain a thick, healthy lawn in an effort to minimize sod web worm infestations.
• Monitor your grass closely during July and August for signs of lawn moths.
• Have your lawn professionally sprayed to provide nutrients and to protect it against lawn moths.
• Cut your grass properly. Be sure the blade is sharp and that the grass is three inches tall after cutting.
• Have your St Augustine or Bahiagrass grass verticut every few years so as to reduce thatch. A lawn with heavy thatch inhibits the delivery of insect control products.
• Always feel free to call us for free advice and tips on caring for your lawn in Clearwater.

About Sod Web Worms

These unwanted creatures are the larvae (worm like) stage of a moth commonly found in your yard. The moths usually flutter around the lawn at sunset dropping eggs that hatch in about a week. After two weeks the sod web worms will grow to about 3/4 of an inch and have a green or brownish color. This is the point in the lawn moth’s development when damage to your lawn will begin to show up.

Will Lawn Moths Damage My Lawn?

Absolutely, sod web worms can damage your lawn. One of their favorite meals is your beautiful yard. These pests will remain in the thatch during the day and go unnoticed, unless you stroll through your yard. Then they are disturbed and will start flying around. When the sun sets the lawn moths will move along the edges of the grass blades eating as they go along. A few small spots will enlarge and suddenly fuse forming wide areas of critical damage. It is not until this time that the damage is noticed and it seems like it shows up overnight. Property owners should act quickly and call Swat Exterminating Company immediately upon noticing these damaging insects. Quick corrective action can save your lawn and restore it to its original beauty.

Signs You have a Sod Web Worm Infestation in Clearwater

There are several signals that would clue one in to an infestation by these pests. The first sign for many people is the appearance of large sections of shaved grass with pale color. A closer examination will reveal that the grass is not shaved, but eaten along the edges. Some blades will fold. Additionally, the lawn can be separated at the transition area from damaged to healthy grass. Always seek pest control when these creatures have taken over your yard.

Pest Control Clearwater for Sod Web Worms

You can rid your yard of these pesky insects pretty quickly with the right company. Because of the imperative need to mix and dispense pesticides properly we recommend that you call us for a professional application. Mismanaged pesticides can reduce their effectiveness and damage the lawn, especially if the mix is too strong. Generally speaking, one or two applications will be adequate to provide control.

Additional Information on Sod Web Worms

High temperature months such as July and August are times when your lawn is most susceptible to sod web worm damage. During the day they rest in the thatch and attack rich moist areas of grass at night. An attach of sob web worms seems to be more likely during times of heavy rains. Questions? Call Swat Exterminating in Clearwater today for a Free Estimate.

Pest Control for Mole Crickets

Maintain a thick, healthy lawn in an effort to minimize mole cricket damage. Make certain that your lawn is watered on a regular basis. Mole crickets will flourish and evolve in soil environment that’s dry. Have your lawn professionally sprayed to provide nutrients and to protect it against mole crickets. Cut your lawn properly. Be sure the blade is sharp and that the grass is three inches tall after cutting. Have your floratam lawn verticut every few years so as to reduce thatch. A lawn with heavy thatch inhibits the delivery of insecticide. Call our office for free advice and tips.

About Mole Crickets

Mole crickets are subterranean insects that tunnel through the soil eating roots as they go along. The two most common varieties, the tawny and southern mole cricket, are about 11/2 inches long and light brown in color. The forelegs are short and stout making them well adapted for tunneling, especially in sandy soils. These insects have no native insect parasites in the U.S. Because of this and the fact that they are subsurface dwellers, they are more difficult to control as compared to surface insects such as sod wed worms and chinch bugs. Mole crickets deposit their eggs in hollowed out chambers in the soil. The chambers are usually about six inches down, however in dry soils and cooler temperatures, the chambers are deeper. Each female will make three to five chambers and deposit an average of thirty-five eggs per chamber. After an average of twenty days the mole crickets begin to hatch and the eating begins. You can expect to see mole crickets in this area during the spring when they hatch and again in the fall when they mate.

Will Mole Crickets Damage My Lawn?

After the infestation begins to mature, the mole crickets come to within an inch or two of the surface and start tunneling through your yard. This unwanted activity loosens and uproots the lawn. In addition to tunneling and uprooting, the mole crickets eat the roots causing the grass to die. Always call a certified expert for information on what to do if you have a mole cricket infestation in Clearwater.

Signs of Mole Crickets?

Mole crickets can be spotted several ways. One of the primary ways is the appearance of soil pushed up from where the grass is edged along the sidewalk or driveway. Secondly, if you walk on the lawn where there is an infestation, the grass will feel spongy or may collapse under your feet. This is a little more difficult to identify because your lawn and grass has a natural sponginess. Lastly, damage will show as brown areas with flat hay like grass and pushed up soil.

Pest Control for Mole Crickets in Clearwater

These pesky insects are difficult to control and sometimes require two applications of a strong insecticide mixed with a wetting agent. The insecticide, coupled with the wetting agent will penetrate the soil faster and at a greater strength as compared to an application without a wetting agent. The first application should be made in the spring, and the second should be applied in early summer. A properly irrigated lawn will keep the mole crickets close to the surface which will make the insecticide applications more effective. Because of their difficulty to control, coupled with the requirement of using strong insecticide, mole cricket control is best left to your service company.