Common Lawn Pests and Diseases in Stockton, CA

You have that beautiful green lawn you’ve always dreamed about, and you’ve worked hard to get it that way. However, now, there are brown patches, dying areas or damaged root zones with grass that pulls up. What is going on? After all your hard work, you know that something terrible is happening. Your lawn may have pests or diseases that are causing it harm. Here are some common lawn pests and diseases in Stockton, CA.

Grubs

White grubs are one of the most common pests California homeowners find. These pests are common in the summer. They are about one inch long and are usually white in color. Grubs feed on the roots of your grass, which means your lawn will look brown and dying and may pull up quickly if you tug on the grass in the area.

As soon as you notice grubs, you should treat them with a chemical pesticide for use with grubs.

Cutworms and armyworms

These fat worms are typically two inches in length and gray or brown in color. They grow up to be moths, but at their worm stage, they can cause damage to lawns from March through October. They are very similar, but there are some differences: cutworms usually are found on their own while armyworms travel in groups. They eat the tops of plants, so the leaves of your grass may appear damaged.

Armyworms and cutworms can be treated with pesticide, allowing you to start recovering your lawn.

Sodworms

Sodworms are cream colored with dark spots along their backs. They cut off the leaf blades, killing your lawn from the middle of each piece of grass. Starting in June, you may see damage to your yard in irregular brown patches.

You can stop the infestation with a sodworm pesticide you can get at a garden center.

Fairy rings

Fairy rings are dark green rings with dying turf surrounding the circle. The first sign may be clusters of mushrooms along the outside of the ring. While fairy rings themselves don’t cause the lawn harm, they suck up all the water, taking that much-needed water from your grass.

There are organic and chemical pesticides to treat fairy rings, so choose the one that best fits your lawn care routine.

Brown patch

During the summer, you may see circles of brown, dry grass. These can be small or large circles that are caused by fungi called Rhizoctonia solani. The grass clippings can spread the fungi from mowing over the area -- so be sure to pick up all the clippings to reduce the chance you spread this disease.

Fungicides can help kill the disease, so you can reseed and get your lawn back in shape.

A professional can help you get your lawn pests and diseases under control. Find out how on our Stockton services page.

If you reside in Stockton, learn how Stockton Lawn Care can service your lawn!

Photo Source: Zillow