Bird Problems With Bahia Sod

Bahia Sod

• Bahia grass forms a less-dense sod than does many warm-season grasses. It scores high, on ease-of-care. The grass may be grown from seed but is more commonly established from sod. It does well with little fertilization or water because it has a deep, wide, root system. The blades are a medium green, wide and coarse. Without frequent mowing, the lawn has numerous unattractive seedheads in the spring, summer and fall. Occasionally, chinch bugs or lawn grubs are found in Bahia grass, but they are not much of a threat and Bahia grass is resistant to most turf diseases.

Mole Crickets

• Mole crickets are active in March. The nymphs overwinter in the soil and feed underground until mid to late spring. They eat plant roots and cause serious vegetation damage. In May or June, they emerge as adults and commence mating. Females lay eggs in the soil in burrows. Each burrow contains up to 50 eggs, which hatch in 10 to forty days. The nymphs go through eight instars or development stages. During this time, they feed and damage the sod.

Birds and Bugs

• The connection to an infestation of mole crickets and birds is the food chain. Most birds eat insects, and mole crickets are a large piece of protein. The nymphs burrow, so bird damage may include scratching the sod to unearth the insects that are several inches deep in the soil. Pecking and pulling at the insects to remove them from thatch also uproots patches of Bahia sod. In addition to the bird damage, the feeding activity of the mole crickets kills patches of the sod, creating a very patchy, ugly lawn.

Treatment

• Mole crickets prefer moist soil. Bahia sod is tolerant of dryer soils, so limiting water is one way minimizing the insect's presence. There are contact insecticides or baits for use against them. Spray or granular applications need watering so the active ingredients penetrate soil to where the nymphs live. The best time too apply is at night when temperatures are around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This is when the nymphs are most active. Prevent the birds by setting up flags on the lawn. As soon as the insect problem is deal with, the bird problem disappears.