The moisture we have received during the month of May has caused insects to go active early and in larger numbers than normal:

Chinch Bugs:
Chinch bug adults and nymphs are already active!

Chinch bugs damage grass by piercing the blades with their needle-like mouthparts and sucking plant juices. The adults are about a sixteenth of an inch long and black, with white wings. The wings often give a diamond shaped appearance on the middle of their backs. The small wingless nymphs often appear to be black in color. These insects are very quick and move rapidly when disturbed.

Chinch bugs prefer to feed on bluegrass and fescues. They prefer sunny areas and lawns with thatch. The overwintering adults emerge from sheltered areas in the spring and seek out grass as it comes out of dormancy.

Damage begins as yellowish areas that soon become dead patches. During warm weather the damage spreads quickly as the bug population multiplies.

Sod Webworms:
Sod Webworm moths are already active!

The webworm is the caterpillar stage of a small 1-inch long, tan moth, often seen flying about the lawn in jerky, short flight. The caterpillars are 3/4-inch long when full grown, and are brown or gray and spotted. They construct silk-lined tunnels in the soil and come out to feed on grass at night. Damage first appears as small, irregular brown patches. Flocks of birds seen on the turf are one indication of the presence of sod webworm. Birds make probing holes into the turf as they search for the caterpillars, often causing much damage to lawns in the process. When the weather warms in spring, the overwintering caterpillars resume feeding on the grass.

Japanese Beetle Grubs:
Much like sod Webworms, the grub stage of a Japanese beetle does damage at the root level. These grubs are smaller and white in color with a brown head. They are often found curled into a “C” shape when the sod is pulled up. When infestation of Japanese Beetle grubs is heavy, the turf can actually be pulled back because of the massive damage to the roots. The emergence of the bright green beetles is usually two to three weeks after the sod webworm moths become active.

Some of the above information comes from the University of Nebraska and the University of New Hampshire.

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