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Managing Pests in Michigan on Turf Grass

Timely pest management is an integral part of maintaining a healthy lawn. Michigan lawns are prone to damage from a number of pests. Damage to grass results in brown and dying grass. The use of pesticides is often required to effectively manage turfgrass pests.

  1. Identification

    • Frequently encountered pests in Michigan lawns include bluegrass billbug, black-to-brown beetles with bills; 3/16-inch-long, white winged black bugs known as chinch bugs; gray-to-tan colored moths called sod webworm; and white grubs or the larva of beetles.

    Damage

    • Bluegrass billbugs and chinch bugs create irregular, brown patches of dying grass on lawns. Sod webworms not only start to kill the lawn in patches, but eat entire grass blades. White grubs infest lawn roots creating soft areas on lawn. Grass pulls up easily and sod rolls back easily.

    Management

    • Michigan State University Extension recommends the use of pesticides when pests number get very high. Keeping lawns in vigorous, good health is among the best preventative measure against pests. Use pesticides in only the area where the pests are present rather than the entire lawn.