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Hills and Holes: The Sign of Pests In Your Lawn
Lawns can be the home of more than just grass and flowers.Do pests 'gopher' your lawn? If you have a lawn, there is a chance that you have attracted such pesky pests as the gopher and his cousin the mole. And very likely some unwanted six-legged creatures - ants and other insects - call your patch of grass home.Why are these animals and insects attracted to your lawn? And, what can you do to stop these lawn pests from burrowing and nesting and being a nuisance? Most household lawns are not large enough to attract so many pests that they are a serious problem. Still any unwated guests can be a nuisance and do some minor damage to your lawn and garden. Harmful insects are not always very easy to spot, Some are so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. However, their presence can be identified by dead, brown patches of grass. ON the other hand, the telltale signs of moles and gophers are a little more obvious - dirt hills on the top of your lawn. And sunken spots cause by tunnels and holes beneath the surface. Once you know that you have pests, you then need to decide the best way for you to take care of the problem. One option is to call in an expert. Use your local directory or the Internet to find someone. Better yet, get a referral from someone you know, perhaps a neighbor, that had a similar problem. But unless your problem is overwhelming, you may want to do it yourself. As a do-it-yourselfer, your first job is to size up the situation, and determine what you are up against. Let's start with insects first. When dealing with insects, you will want to seperate the useful bugs from the unwanted ones. Many insects are predators and act as exterminators of other insect species. Other insects can help control your thatch level. (Thatch is a build-up of root and stem material laying on top of the soil.) So get to know your insect friends! There are two categories of insects to consider when it comes to those who invade your lawn: Above and below ground insects. Above ground insects usually feed on your grass, and they are easy to discover. Some examples of these can be chinch bugs, green bugs and armyworms (worm stage of various moths). Below ground insects are just that, they feed on your lawn through the root system. They are the most destructive of the two kinds of invaders. They are also the most difficult to identify since they are not easily seen. Below ground insects include grubs, beetle larvae and billbugs (billbugs are a type of weevil or "snout beetle"). There are literally thousands of species of insects, far too many to list here. Check out a book on insects from your local library, or check out some entomology websites to learn more about what roles and functions the species you have found have. Again, you don't want to kill off any allies! There are five basic types of treatment for anthills and other insects: chemical insecticides (no longer recommended - remember your kids play on the lawn), biological insecticides, botanical insecticides, soap traps (with and without insecticides), vacumning or other physical removal methods, and predatory insects (remember- some insects are your friend). Specific methods are used to target specific insects. Weigh each option and choose which one fits your needs the best. Moles and gophers are two of the most common animal pests. Due to a striking similarity in the kind of damage they do, they are often confused. Both animals build tunnels under your lawns, but they really are different creatures. What sets moles apart from gophers? Moles are smaller than gophers, and have pointed snouts and large front claws. They do not feed on your lawn, but eat the insects that dwell within. Does this mean the moles are helping you control insects? Maybe, but the moles' tunnels leave mounds of dirt on the ground above, and their shallow tunnels cause uneven ground. The problems they create Usually outweigh their predatory value. Gophers, the largest of the pesky pair, have buckteeth and small ears. These creatures love to munch on your grass and plant roots. Like moles, gophers also leave mounds of dirt, but they do far more damage underground, and can cause sinkholes. Gophers maybe cute when seen in Caddyshack, but they can cause a lot of recurring problems. Getting rids of gophers and moles leads two main solutions - killing them or chasing them away. There are biological solutions that contain castor oil, for example, that is spread in the are of the tunnels. The castor oil coats the food source of the pests and they starve. Some Biological agents containing scents that drive molesw away. And their are electronic sonic devices that irritate the mammales and drive them off as well. There are also more conventional methods to use, such as traps. The long term way to deal with pests is not have them at all. Do all that you can maintain a healthy lawn - this both discourages pests and limits the damage they do. About the Author: Scott Harker is the publisher of several websites including: Sherlock Holmes Pastiches, Harvest The Sun | Renewable Energy, Bonsai for Beginners, Spiritual Journeys | Path To God, and Coin Collector's Dream.
News about Lawn Pests
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