Several kinds of caterpillars, the immature or larval stage of moths, such armyworms and sod webworms, and grubworms eat the grass leaves, causing major damage to various kinds of turf grass. They are common during the fall months.

During fall and winter mites and scale are common. Scale insects live in the soil and suck the juices from the grass roots of turf grass; they can also be harmful to ornamental plants. Symptoms attributed to scale insects include yellowing of the grass, followed by browning; scale damage becomes most noticeable when the grass is under stress due to drought, nutritional deficiencies and other afflictions. Ordinarily not a pest in well-managed lawns, mites are known to attack grasses. They suck the sap and cause leaves to appear blotched and stippled; severe infestations can also kill plants.

Some of these pests are particularly damaging since they are literally born and raised on lawn turf grass in the surrounding soil; sod webworms eat the grass as larvae and continue as adults. Others, like mole crickets, destroy lawns by tunneling through the soil near the lawn’s surface, which loosens the soil so that the grass is often uprooted and dies due to the drying out of the root system. They often feed on grass roots, causing thinning of turf, eventually resulting in bare soil. Mole crickets are common when the temperatures are the warmest and rainfall and humidity is high. They can also be found in and around your home in dark, damp places.

Slugs and snails may often move about on the lawn and may injure adjacent plants. They are night feeders and leave mucous trails on plants and sidewalks. Plaster bagworms, close relatives of the clothes moth, are often found in sheds and garages. They are not considered to be serious lawn pests, feeding primarily on old spider webs and silk spun by other insects.

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