How to Treat Lawn Insects
Treating your lawn for insects can be disastrous if it's not done right. If you see harmful insects in your yard, like pill bugs, Japanese beetles and aphids, you may be tempted to spray heavily with an insecticide to kill off the pests. However, you'll be wiping out beneficial insects such as green lacewings, ground beetles, hover flies, lady beetles and spider mites as well. Be careful not to upset the natural balance too much when you treat lawn insects. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Perform a soap drench to determine what types of insects are present in your lawn. Add 2 tsp. of dishwashing liquid to a bucket of water. Swish it around with your hand to mix. Slowly pour the mixture over a 2-by-2 foot area of your lawn.
-
2
Identify the insects that come to the top of the soil. If you find a lot of harmful insects, such as six or more grubs per square foot, treat your lawn with a chemical.
-
-
3
Choose an insecticide that targets the harmful insects in your lawn. For example, Azadirachtin controls cutworms, army worms and lawn moth larvae. Mix the biodegradable insecticide with water (1 oz. per gallon of water) and spray it on your lawn. Wear safety goggles and protective gloves during the application.
-
4
Purchase beneficial insects to get rid of your harmful lawn insects (see Resources). Follow the instructions that come with the control insects, as they vary by type. Release ladybugs at night (they don't fly in the dark) into a water-drenched garden with unwanted aphids.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
The best time to treat lawn insects is during the late summer, when they're near the top of the soil. Diazinon and carbaryl are the two most common insecticides. Use diazinon to treat billbugs, white grubs, chinch bugs, cutworms and sod webworms. Use carbaryl to treat against white grubs and billbugs.
Always follow the directions and warnings on the insecticide. Store insecticides in a locked place where children and animals can't get hold of them. Avoid runoff and water pollution; don't use pesticides when your lawn is saturated, or when it's windy.
