Lawn Archives - Bonide

Wireworms

The shiny, reddish brown larvae of the click beetle are the particular bane of gardeners who dote on root crops. Reaching a length of about 1 1/2 inches, wire-worms are hard-shelled and jointed with three pairs of legs just behind the head. They’re especially troublesome in gardens formerly planted as lawns. In hot, dry weather, … Read more

Whiteflies

Some 200 species of these pests cause problems. Like aphids (their close relatives), they’re sap feeders, sucking plant juices from leaf undersides. The adults, which look like tiny white moths, fly up in a cloud when disturbed. Some of the nymphal stages resemble scale insects. Whiteflies are found the year around in warm climates; in … Read more

Ticks

Most Ticks are minute to small (e.g. 0.08–1.00 millimetre or 0.0031–0.039 inch), but the largest Acari (some ticks and red velvet mites) may reach lengths of 10–20 millimetres (0.39–0.79 in). It is estimated that over 50,000 species have been described (as of 1999) and that a million or more species are currently living. Ticks feed … Read more

Sod Webworms

Sod webworms are the larvae of lawn moths, which hide in the day and fly in the evening and at night. When disturbed during daylight hours, the grayish white to tan moths make brief, erratic flight 1 to 2 feet above the ground. They don’t feed on lawns, but their slender, inch-long offspring chew on … Read more

Rose Chafers

Unlike most insects named after particular plants, the rose chafer doesn’t limit itself to one target. It’s a general pest. The 2 1/2 inch long adults, slender, long legged, and light tan in color, feed in swarms, attacking flowering plants first, then moving on to other kinds of plants. The slim, white, 1/4 inch long … Read more

Root Weevils

Many species of root weevils cause trouble. The black vine weevil feasts on plants such as yew, rhododendrons, members of the rose family, and small fruits; the strawberry root weevil attacks a wide variety of plants, ranging from strawberries to arborvitae. The vegetable weevil (shown) feeds on carrots, tomatoes, spinach, and other plants.Adults of all … Read more

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are insects in the order Diptera (flies), which have only a single pair of wings. The wings of mosquitoes are narrow and have a fringe of scales on the margins and veins. Mosquitoes have three pairs of long, slender legs and two long antennae. The mouthparts of mosquitoes form an elongate beak called a … Read more

Mites

Mites are small arthropods with two body regions, sucking mouthparts, no antennae, and four pairs of legs as adults. The life cycle of a mite has four active stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. The life cycle requires one to four weeks and can result in high populations when there are favorable conditions. There are … Read more

Millipedes

Although their name suggests otherwise, these nocturnal, hard-shelled, worm-like creatures don’t have a thousand legs, but only up to a mere 400. Slow moving and ranging from 1/2 to 2 inches in length, they’re found in moist soil and garden debris; they often curl up when disturbed. A few types of millipedes are pests, but … Read more

June Beetles

Varying in color and size by the species, this beetle flies after dusk and is attracted to light. The various common names, may beetle, June bug, June beetle, refer to the season when adults are active, but it’s the earlier larval form that should worry gardeners. Also called white grubs, the larvae resemble Japanese beetle … Read more