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 The best defense against insects is to have a thick healthy lawn (see our Lawn Care section for more information). A thick healthy lawn can withstand some insect infestation without too much damage. Contact your local lawn care professional for proper diagnosis and treatment. Southern Ontario
Ants (Formicdae) Ants can also be a problem when they come onto patios and indoors. Fortunately, ants can be controlled for a small period of time with a recommended insect control material. The insect control should be applied to the entire lawn. If only the ant hills are treated, the ants will move to an untreated area. 
Black Turfgrass Ataenius (Ataenius spretulus) Adult beetles are frequently seen in piles of grass clippings, on leaves or in any other decaying vegetation. The grubs feed on the roots causing the lawn to wilt, turn yellow and die out in patches (usually in mid July). The dead patches will continue to increase until the larvae stop feeding. The damaged grass will roll up easily. Life Cycle: Control Options:
Bluegrass Billbugs (Sphenophorus) Bluegrass Billbugs do most of the damage while they’re in larvae stage. Larvae are legless with fat whitish body and a brown head. They feed on the grass roots and stems, often cutting the roots and stems of the grass off, allowing the plant to be pulled up easily. Bluegrass Billbug damage resembles drought symptoms. Large areas of your lawn may appear wilted with a yellowish brown color, however it will not respond to watering. Life Cycle: Control Options:
Chinch Bug (Blissus leucopterus) Chinch bugs attack during the mid‑summer heat and can cause serious damage in a few days and devastate an entire lawn in a few weeks. Life Cycle: Control Options:
Cutworm (Family: Noctuidae Genera: Agrotis, Nephelodes, Peridroma) Life Cycle: Control Options:
European Chafer Grub (Rhizotrogus majalis) After they destroy the grass roots, the lawn will appear unhealthy, turning yellow then brown, as if the lawn is drying out. Other symptoms to watch for include: presence of birds, moles, skunks and other insect-eating animals. Skunks and raccoons will dig up the lawn and birds leave holes where grubs are present. The damaged grass will roll up easily. Life Cycle:
Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) The lawn wilts, turns yellow then brown during August or September. The damaged grass will roll up easily. Damage to your lawn also occurs when moles, raccoons, skunks dig up your lawn looking for food. Life Cycle: Control Options:
June Beetle (Phyllophaga) The grubs feed on the roots causing the lawn to wilt, turn yellow and die out in patches. The damaged grass will roll up easily. Damage to your lawn also occurs when moles, raccoons, skunks dig up your lawn looking for food. Life Cycle: Control Options:
Leatherjacket or European Crane Fly (Tipula paludosa, T. oleracea) Life Cycle: Control Options:
Sod Webworm (Parapediasia) The larvae stage of the Sod Webworm: they are about 3/4" long, are dirty white or tan in colored and frequently have rows of dark spots along their back. As larvae, they construct burrows in the thatch layer. The insect lines its tunnel with 'silk‑like' material and green excrement (frass) on the surface. Life Cycle: Control Options:
Turfgrass Scale (Lecanopsis formicarum) Nymphs (young scale) appear in the late spring and summer and increase the damage as they are feeding off the grass. They look like pink pinhead size dots and are frequently spotted in large numbers clinging to grass blades. Control Options: |
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Professional Lawn Care Association of Ontario P.O. Box 23015 Kitchener, Ontario N2B 3V1 P: (519) 836-4906
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Ants do not feed on the grass; the problem is the ant hills that they make in the lawn.
Young beetles (grubs) are less than 2 mm long when they are hatched and grow to about 5 mm when mature. Young grubs are C-shaped, yellow-brown heads and have 6 legs. When they mature they become black shiny beetles.
Adult Bluegrass Billbugs are blackish gray in color with a hard body that is about 5mm (3/16") in size. Their long snout‑like forehead can distinguish them. The adults survive in the thatch layer during the growing season. The adults may cause minor damage to the lawn by chewing holes in the grass blades; however, the damage inflicted is minor compared to that of the larvae. During the spring and fall the adults may frequently be spotted traveling along sidewalks and driveways.
Chinch bugs have reddish bodies in their younger stages. The tiny young mature into black and white coloured adults. They live above the soil and feed on living grass plants. Chinch bugs pierce the grass blade, stem or crown, inject toxic saliva, then suck out the plant’s sap. Damage looks similar to drought but watering does not remedy the problem.
Cutworm larvae are grey, brown or black. They live on the soil surface or in the thatch layer. Cutworm larvae usually feed during the night and take shelter in the day. Stems, leaves and roots of grass plants may be injured, leaving yellowish brown dead patches with a hollow hole in the middle of the circle. Other symptoms to watch for include looking for starlings and other birds that keep returning to an area and leaving holes in the lawn.
They are C-shaped, cream coloured with a brown head and have six legs. The larvae are small, plump, and actively feed on grass roots. They live below the soil surface and actually chew off the roots of the grass. 
The Japanese beetle is highly destructive during both its larval and adult stages. The larval stage is responsible for the damage done to your lawn and the adult stage is more damaging to ornamental plants. The grubs are about 1” long when mature, white to cream colored, has a dark head, 6 legs and a C-shaped body. 
June beetles have a 3 year life cycle with grub damage usually occurring every 3 years. Adult June beetles are black or brown and are about 1” in length with long, spiny legs. The larvae are small when first hatched but can get to a length of 3 cm to 4 cm when full grown. They have a tan or dark brown head, 6 legs and have two parallel rows of spines.
Due to their leathery grey brown skin, the damaging larvae are commonly referred to as "Leatherjackets". Leatherjackets feed during the day at or below the surface of the lawn. The damage to your lawn will first appear as brown patches that soon become bare if infestations are heavy. The insect is most visible on damp, warm nights when they feed on grass blades and stems at the soil surface.
Sod Webworm adults are small tan moths. The adult moths do not harm your lawn but when disturbed they are seen flying across your lawn. They usually hide during the day and come out in the evening. The adult moths will be seen about three weeks before any damage appears.
Adult scale is light tan in color with two dark stripes running parallel down their backs and measure about 1.5 mm wide and 2.5 mm long. The adults survive in the thatch layer and may cause minor damage. Large areas of your lawn may appear wilted and brown in color and does not respond to watering.