Lawn mites are extremely active now in the greater Denver Metro area. The bitter cold snap did not kill them off; it only put them into dormancy until the temperatures warmed up into the upper teens so they could start feeding again.

In addition, the snowfall we received was very low in moisture content so yards didn’t get much in the way of water. As the temperatures increased the combination of active mites and lack of decent moisture has made for the perfect conditions for wide spread and intensive mite damage to lawns.

Winter watering on warm days coupled with mite spray can prevent lasting damage and even costly replacement of areas of turf. This is especially true in south and west facing areas where the sun bakes the lawn at the same time the mites are pulling moisture out of the grass blades.

Other areas prone to severe mite damage include the areas around the base of evergreens, lawn around rock walls and fence lines where the heat reflects down on the yard and open areas where the snow melts quickly when the temperatures warm up. Finally the edges along sidewalks and driveways are “hot spots” where mites thrive and quickly and easily get established.

Signs of mite damage start out as a bleached appearance to the lawn followed by a crunchy feeling to the grass blades. Keep in mind most lawns in the Denver area maintain some green and the blades of grass stay relatively soft even when dormant. Yards under stress loose both the soft texture and the green appearance. This time of year, the number one culprit of this kind of damage is the yard mite.

Dealing with lawn mites with a combination of winter watering and winter mite sprays now can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in lawn replacement later. 

Give Mountain High Tree a call at 303.232.0666 or send us an online estimate request today and we’ll let you know if you need to treat your lawn for mites.