Did you know that certain bugs can be damaging your lawn right now and you wouldn’t even notice until later this summer? Billbugs are guilty of this crime. These weevils will start doing damage to your lawn now, but it will not become evident until around July or August. Make sure you take action before it is too late. Find out what you can do to protect your lawn now!

Billbugs can be found anywhere from Kentucky bluegrass to perennial ryegrass and small grain crops. These pests do the most damage when they are in their larval stage. When billbugs burrow down to the grass roots, they damage the turf crown. Destruction of the turf crown will kill the entire grass plant and leave your lawn damaged. This turf damagement process usually begins right around this time, but you won’t be able to notice the damage until around mid-July or even August. The earlier you address this issue, the better off your lawn will be later on.

Billbugs are one of the most difficult pests to control. The adults have an armor-type body, which helps prevent them from absorbing insecticides easily. The larvae just stay inside grass stems, which also makes them difficult to get rid of. Regardless, there are effective methods that can be used to get rid of these pests. One option is to use resistant turf Kentucky bluegrass varieties. For Ohio lawns, high-endophyte ryegrasses and turf-type tall fescues are great methods of avoiding billbug damage. Another option is to use turf insecticides. Neonicotinoid and athranilic diamides are very effective in controlling billbug larvae. These insecticides are absorbed into the plant stems and leaves, and when the larvae begin feeding on the stem, they will come into contact with the insecticide. If the damage is already done, there are some options you have. Billbug damage can typically be covered up with good irrigation and fertilization.

If you are interested in learning more about billbug damage and what options you have for controlling these pests you can checkout this great overview here, and you can also check out this article on how billbugs are controlled in Ohio.

If you need help controlling lawn pests like these, you don’t have to do it alone. A professional lawn care company can help with issues like these and many others! Find out all you need to know about how to hire the right company for you with our FREE Hiring Guide! Click below to get your copy now!