Texas Lawn Damage

Texas Lawn Damage From Insects & Disease

Aphids

A tiny insect that feeds on ornamental plants here in Texas, aphids are often found on Crape Myrtles but will also infest many different types of plants. Often the first indicator that aphids are present is a black mold that begins to cover the leaves of your plants. This is a result of the honeydew they produce going bad. This mold will slow the photosynthesis process and put a great deal of stress on your plants.

Chinch Bugs

Many lawns in Texas have Chinch bug problems in the hot summer months. This can appear as dead patches and is often misdiagnosed as drought-stressed turf. It also oftentimes appears along the edges of driveways and sidewalks. It will present generally as a small dead patch of grass, that will spread if left untreated.

We can treat that area and suppress the population, as well as perform a preventative treatment on the rest of the yard.

Scale

Scale is a small lifeless looking bump on your plants. Often seen on holly plants, these insects can infest many different ornamentals.

Scale also produces honeydew and just like aphids, this can restrict photosynthesis, putting unneeded stress on your plants. Honeydew also attracts small sweet feeding ants, which can eventually make their way into our homes.

Sod Webworms

Not really worms, sod webworms are the larval stage of lawn moths. Most numerous from June to early August, these lawn pests damage grass and create brown patches.  

If an infestation is severe, it’s common to find brown patches running together, creating an unsightly lawn.  

Grub Damage

Grubs are the larvae of the infamous June bug. Although in this part of Texas we generally see it earlier than June. These beetles lay their eggs in the soil and one year later they begin to hatch out as adults.

Grubs can cause significant damage to warm-season turf grasses. It is best to perform preventative treatments for these pests in May/June.

Brown Patch

This fungus generally begins to flourish when the temperatures start dropping in the late summer to early fall. It can envelop an entire yard if left untreated. It is best treated on a preventative basis. However, if brown patch is spotted it can be treated after it has started. The grass in the infested area may not come back until next year, but the rest of the yard can be treated to prevent massive spreading.