Billbugs

Billbugs

Several billbug species are found in lawns, they all have long, and forward-pointing snout gives this dark, slow-moving, ½ inch long weevil its name. The real pests, though, are the fat, legless grubs. About the same size as the adult beetles, they’re white with brown heads. Billbugs are a problem primarily on the East Coast and in the West.

Target: Lawns, especially those planted with Bermuda or zoysia grass.

Damage: Irregular brown patches that lift right up from the lawn appear where grass roots have been chewed through.

Life cycle: Adults hibernate in protected areas, then lay eggs in grass stems in spring. The grubs hatch out and tunnel into the stems, then move deeper to feed on crowns and roots before pupating in autumn. There is one generation a year.

Notes: The legless larvae offer the best evidence of a billing infestation; other lawn pests that cause similar damage have legs. You’ll also see whitish, saw-dustlike excrement in infested areas.

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