Pest managers also get involved in dealing with lawn pests, especially ants, lawn grubs and caterpillars, and sometimes deal with plant pests. Some companies take this further and provide combined pest, weed and lawn care services. We have a range of articles focusing on lawncare, lawn and garden insect pests and weed.
Before dealing with any pests or weeds in lawns it is important to understand what type of grass you have in your lawn (as this can impact potential treatments) and also understand the basics of turf care.
The main insect pests in lawns include various species of ants, which includes biting ants in lawns, such as the green-head ant and tyrants ants, and other lawn ants, such as the infamous funnel ant.
The other pests that concern lawn care enthusiasts are the various caterpillars pests in lawns (moth larvae) and curl grubs (beetle larvae). If you’re not sure what’s eating your lawn check out our article on lawn caterpillars, worms and grubs.
Homeowners may suffer from mole cricket problems and sometimes can suffer from a “lawn prawn” infestation which can extend from the gardens to inside the house.
Not an insect and difficult to see, the couch mite can cause problems in lawns, causing the plants to develop the witches broom appearance.
There are of course a wide range of pest that attack plants. We’re starting to build our library of articles, but here is some useful information on mealybugs, stink bugs, passionvine hoppers, sawflies and spitfires, fall armyworm and cluster caterpillars. We also have a great article which covers the main types of caterpillars on plants.
Learn more about which insects produce honeydew and how it can increase ant problems.
There are a range of other pests that can appear in gardens (and sometime invade homes), that aren’t really a concern from a gardening point of view, but still cause concern for the gardener and homeowner. These include the lawn prawn (amphipod), assassin bugs, rove beetles and seed bugs.
Weeds in lawns are an ongoing issue for home gardeners. Correct identification of the weed is important to determine the best treatment, knowing whether it is a summer annual weed, broadleaf weed or grassy weed is a good start. However, know information on specific weeds is also important, such as bindi and fleabane.
More information on lawn care.
These insects feed on dozens of garden vegetables, ornamentals, native plants and weeds. They look like moths, jump like fleas, and their nymphs have long waxy filaments coming out of their abdomens. Would you be able to identify a passionvine hopper?
A notorious pest from a family of notorious pests, these caterpillars will feast on almost anything, and thrive on vegetables and poisonous weeds. Could you identify a cluster caterpillar?
Every year this insect emerges to defoliate eucalyptus and delight with their festive colours. But their numbers seem to have crashed in recent years. Would you be able to identify a Christmas beetle?
Mealybugs are a common problem for gardeners. Also called unarmoured scale insects, their waxy cuticle and habit for hiding around the joins between stems and leaves make them difficult to control with insecticides. How would you control a mealybug infestation?
A common weed faced by lawn managers, fleabane is one species where a selective herbicide can deliver better results than the usual go-to glyphosate.
Commonly known as lawn ‘worms’, moth larvae cause significant damage to lawns. Here’s how to identify the culprit in question and treat appropriately.
With almost 400 species in Australia, these bugs are best known for their shape and noxious chemical defences. Would you be able to recognise a stink bug? Green vegetable bug (Nezara viridula) shown above.
For those new to lawn care, here’s an overview of the basic requirements for good, healthy turf.
The cause of unusual and unsightly damage, the couch mite may be tiny but can present a big problem to those caring for couch grass lawns.
A profile of two of the key summer annual grasses pest managers need to know how to tackle for successful lawn management.
Cunning hunters with bulging eyes, a venomous beak, and a hunger for the flesh and fluids of other insects – and sometimes human blood. Would you be able to identify an Assassin Bug? Red tiger assassin bug (Havinthus rufovarius) shown above.
Becoming familiar with cool season and warm season grasses is a great way for pest managers to begin learning about lawn care.