4 Lawn Maintenance Tasks to Keep Bugs and Grubs Away
When it comes to lawn maintenance, most homeowners focus on keeping weeds away and keeping the grass thick and lush. However, there is another aspect of lawn maintenance that is just as important — keeping insects and grubs away. Insects like leafhoppers can leave your lawn looking yellow, and grubs can eat the grass roots, causing it to die. Luckily, good lawn care practices can keep these insects and pests away. Read on to learn more.
1. Fill in low spots.
Most insects love water, and grubs love lawn roots that have been soaking in lots of water. If there are any low spots in your yard, filling them in will help keep bugs out of your lawn. The easiest way to fill in the spots is to simply pour in some topsoil, pat it down, and sprinkle some grass seed on top. Water the grass seed in, and then cover it with straw until the seed sprouts. Water the newly planted areas daily until the grass pops up.
2. Don't over-water.
Over-watering is another big contributor to lawn pest infestations. As mentioned above, bugs love moisture. Your grass needs moisture to thrive, but if you're putting down too much, you'll be keeping bugs — not just grass — hydrated. Unless you live in a very dry place like Arizona, you probably don't need to water your grass every day. Doing so two or three times per week is adequate.
3. Clean up your clippings.
Grass clippings provide perfect fodder for hungry insects. If you do not have a lawnmower with a bag, make sure you are raking up your grass clippings after every mowing session. You may want to consider buying a mower with a bag since this can save you a lot of time.
Also, make sure you rake up leaves promptly when they start to fall in autumn. Insects may initially start feeding on the leaves before moving on to the grass.
4. Scatter insecticides.
If you follow the tips above, you should not have to use a whole lot of insecticides to protect your lawn. However, scattering some insecticide granules in the spring can be a good preventative maintenance measure. Ideally, you should do this as soon as it gets warm outside or when you mow your lawn for the first time that season.
With the tips above, you can protect your lawn from bugs and grubs. Contact a landscaping contractor to learn more about lawn maintenance.
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