List of the Bad Summer Bugs for Lawn and Gardens
No gardener wants to be attacked by bugs that ruin all of their efforts. They don’t care about how you’ve labored in the soil to bring forth beautiful flowers and veggies. They just want to get in on the feast!
The thing is, not all garden bugs are bad. This means it’s important to know what to look out for, so you know what solutions to employ.
Here are a few of the “usual suspects” known to harm your yard and garden.
Mealy Bugs
There is a good chance that your plants may be harboring mealybugs, as there are over a hundred varieties. Most species prefer a warm habitat, which means we are especially susceptible here in the North Texas region.
They get their name from the mealy appearance on the leaves, caused by their voracious munching. Eventually, the damaged foliage ends up resembling a cottony mass that resembles a cobweb. Yuck!
In addition to the visual damage, mealy bugs will weaken your plants by suckling on the available sap. So what to do?
Isopropyl alcohol, either as a wipe or a spray, can effectively deter mealy bugs and kill their eggs. Just be sure not to use in excess, as you don’t want to damage the foliage or root system.
Aphids
Aphids are small soft bugs, often invisible with naked eyes. They can be grey, black, brown, or yellow in appearance. If allowed, aphids will destroy large fields of crops as well as your quaint and colorful garden.
The problem with aphids is that they can infect every part of a living plant, all the way down to its roots. This is why it’s important to be very proactive in preventing them.
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They attack the nutrient-rich liquid within the plants’ leaves, vines, flowers, fruits, and root systems. Unlike some other predators, these bugs do not discriminate! They’ll take what they can get from every nook and cranny of your beloved garden. Simple and easy way to get rid of aphids is to spray cold water to dislodge them. Horticultural or insecticidal sprays also do good to control aphids.
Fortunately, spraying a bit of cold water, mixed with a drop of dish soap, is really helpful. The mixture helps dislodge them from the leaves and stems, and also deters them from returning.
Common pesticides, as well as beneficial bugs (like ladybugs and cicadas) can also reduce the population of aphids in your garden.
Tomato Hornworm
Tomato hornworms are quite common bugs in the garden, as they love to munch on your veggies. Be on the lookout for pale green caterpillars with a striped abdomen, black spots, and a larger spot at the bottom.
True to their name, they do prefer tomatoes. But they can also affect peppers, potatoes, eggplants, and other nightshades.
So what to do?
Common insecticides are always helpful, but you also face the issue of applying those chemicals directly to the vegetables you intend to eat. Shocking as it sounds, beneficial wasps are the best answer!
Braconid wasps are a great example of this. While they are capable of stinging humans, they really rarely do. They’re more interested in preying on those fat, juicy tomato worms! Fragrant herbs and flowers, such as chamomile, catnip, and alyssum, can help attract these helpers to your garden.
RELATED TIP: Top Full Sun Perennials for North Texas
Mites
There are several different types of mites, and none of them are good news for your lawn and garden. Grass mites, lawn mites, clover mites, and brown wheat mites can all wreak havoc on your beautiful green landscape. This is true even if you don’t have any clover or wheat on your lawn.
Mites are attracted to areas that receive high heat, as well as less moisture and irrigation. This means you need to be on the lookout in sloped, sun-heavy, and peripheral areas of your lawn.
Mites create irregular patches of yellowed grass that somewhat resembles straw. So what do you do to control them?
Fortunately, your run-of-the-mills pesticide will work just fine, without harming your grass. Additionally, you can take preventative measure by watering your lawn evenly. Even an occasional winter watering- so long as the temperature is well above freezing- can help stave off these foes.
Chinch Bugs
Chinch bugs enjoy sunny, grassy areas where they can snack on turf grass without being noticed. They’re often hard to spot because they’re so small.
They also enjoy feasting on wheat, barley, and corn, which makes them somewhat of a hazard for crop fields as well. The major issue with these foes is that they can overwinter, meaning they can hibernate and then re-emerge come springtime.
Chinch bugs don’t like moisture and humidity, so a good deterrent is simply keeping your lawn and garden well hydrated. Additionally, common pesticides work well. It may be wise to apply early on in the spring season, due to their ability to overwinter.
Add a Soil Surfactant Treatment to Your Lawn Care Plan This Summer in Texas.
The summer heat in Texas can be stressful for your grass. One way to ensure your lawn stays healthy during this season is by adding a soil surfactant treatment to your lawn care plan! A soil surfactant is a wetting agent that breaks the surface tension between the soil, air, and the roots of your grass. This treatment enhances the roots' water and nutrient uptake, promotes recovery, and makes your turf greener and thicker. It's important to include soil surfactants in your lawn care plan this summer because it helps keep it stress-free during hot and dry conditions. Typically, this application remains effective for about 30 days, so you can opt for one or multiple to keep the soil in optimal condition and your grass growing healthy.
What is a soil surfactant?
A soil surfactant is a wetting agent that is administered on your lawn to break the surface tension between the soil, air, and the roots of your grass. This will improve water flow throughout your turf, making it more easily accessible and helping the root zone to retain moisture better. That way, it stays hydrated for longer and can withstand drought-like conditions.
However, that's not all - by breaking the surface tension, soil surfactants improve your lawn's nutrient uptake. The soil can maintain optimal space between its particles to retain the right amount of nutrients your grass needs and can absorb to remain in great health. Because of this, these treatments also contribute to reducing water and nutrient run-off!
Why should your lawn in Texas be treated with a soil surfactant this summer?
Lawns in Texas can struggle when the heat and dry conditions are too much for them, especially during summer. That's why your lawn care plan for this summer should include a soil surfactant treatment! Because this treatment is designed to help the soil retain moisture in the root zone, it will help your grass survive and even thrive under the harsh summer heat, reducing stress caused by lack of water or drought conditions. This will also prevent your lawn from drying up and turning brown quickly.
Since soil surfactants also improve your lawn's ability to absorb nutrients, incorporating this treatment into your lawn care plan will help it maintain its health and vigor. It allows these vital resources to easily penetrate the soil so your grass can maximize them, helping it recover quicker from any summer-related stress while making it thicker and greener!
How long do soil surfactant treatments last?
Soil surfactant treatments typically last for 30 days. You can schedule it as a one-time treatment for your lawn in the summer, but you can also apply it multiple times throughout the year. This way, you can rest assured that your grass is absorbing the water and nutrients it needs to grow healthy and green. With the summer heat in Texas, you'll want the soil to be in optimal condition to allow easy access to these resources and keep your lawn at its best, even during this stressful season!
Some lawn care programs include several soil surfactant treatments throughout the growing season to keep your turf in optimal health.
Call us today to schedule our soil surfactant treatment!
Soil surfactants play a crucial role in ensuring your lawn stays healthy throughout the year. If you want to incorporate this treatment into your lawn care plan, you've come to the right place! Our team offers top-quality soil surfactant treatments to residential properties, and nearby communities in Texas. You can opt for one application this summer or take advantage of our lawn care program, which includes fertilization, weed control, and several soil surfactant treatments throughout the year to ensure your turf always has the best access to everything it needs! Give us a call today to schedule.