Short answer
Turf insects damage grass at the surface instead of the root, which separates them from grubs. Chinch bugs hit hot dry edges in July and August, sod webworms leave chewed patches and army worms can strip a lawn in two days. EKKO Lawns identifies which insect is active before treating, because the timing and product differ for each one.
Drought damage or insect damage
Both turn a lawn brown. The difference shows in the pattern and the response to water. Drought browns the whole lawn evenly and greens back up after a good soaking. Insect damage starts in patches along hot edges, spreads outward and keeps browning no matter how much you water. Part the grass at the edge of a damaged spot and look at the soil line, because that is where the insects sit.
- Chinch bugs along driveways, sidewalks and south facing slopes
- Sod webworm damage with chewed blades and small green pellets
- Army worms moving across a lawn in a visible front
- Billbug damage where stems break off at the crown
- Damage that spreads while watering makes no difference
How we handle a turf insect call
Identification first. Treating the wrong insect wastes a visit and gives the real one another two weeks.
Inspect the damage line
We work the edge between green and brown, since that is where active insects sit. The dead center has usually been abandoned.
Confirm the pest
Chinch bugs show in a soap flush. Webworms leave frass at the crown. Army worms are visible on the surface at dusk.
Treat the active stage
Product and rate change by insect. Surface feeders need the application watered in differently than root feeders.
Watch the border
Insects move. We treat past the visible damage so the population does not walk into clean turf.
Recheck in ten days
One treatment covers most cases. Heavy pressure or a second hatch calls for a follow up.
Repair the damage
Where the crown is gone, the grass will not come back. Those areas need seed and often aeration.
Why chinch bugs hit the same spots every year
Chinch bugs want heat and dry soil. Driveway edges, sidewalk strips and south facing slopes hold more heat and dry out first, so those areas get hit season after season on the same properties.
Thick, well fed turf tolerates a light population without showing damage. Thin, stressed turf on a hot edge fails fast. That is why feeding and watering habits change how much insect pressure a lawn can absorb before you see it.
- Insect identified before any product goes down
- Treatment extended past the visible damage line
- Follow up inspection included
- Licensed applicator and label rate applications
Pairs well with
Grub control
Grubs feed on roots underneath and get confused with surface insect damage all the time.
See grub controlFertilization
Fed turf absorbs light insect pressure without showing it. Stressed turf fails fast.
See fertilizationLawn restoration
Where insects killed the crown, the grass is gone and the area needs rebuilding.
See lawn restorationTurf insect questions we get
Cut the ends out of a coffee can, push it into the soil at the damage edge and fill it with soapy water. Chinch bugs float up within a few minutes.
They are caterpillars that feed in large groups and can strip a lawn in one or two days. They move as a visible front, and a lawn can go from green to brown over a weekend.
Because water treats drought and not insects. If the lawn browns while you water, something is feeding on it.
Where the crown survived, yes, over a few weeks with feeding. Where insects killed the crown, that grass is gone and the area needs seed.
Yes at label rates. Stay off treated areas until they dry or until granular product is watered in.
No. Insect pressure varies year to year and by property. We treat when there is an active population instead of on a set schedule.
Find out what is really browning your lawn
Call and we will inspect the damage before anyone sells you a treatment.
