Healthy Lawns—Insects and other invertebrates

The UC Guide to Healthy Lawns

Insects and other invertebrates

Insects do not frequently cause major problems in lawns in California. However, they can occur and occasionally damage or kill turfgrass.

Find out more about invertebrates that may occur in turfgrass.

Distinguishing features of
common lawn insects

For more information on lawn insects, refer to:
Pest Notes: Lawn Insects

Diseases, poor maintenance practices, or inappropriate use of fertilizers or herbicides may also cause symptoms resembling invertebrate damage.

Before taking any insect-control action, be sure you actually have an insect problem and not something else. The best way to diagnose an insect problem is to perform a drench test or roll up the grass. It is imperative that the causal organism is found to confirm that an insect is responsible for the damage. Low numbers of most insect pests will not cause damage. Never treat until treatment thresholds are reached.

Refer to the following section for more information:

Diagnosing your problem

Statewide IPM Program, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
All contents copyright © 2004 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

For noncommercial purposes only, any Web site may link directly to this page. FOR ALL OTHER USES or more information, read Legal Notices. Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual solutions to specific pest problems. See How to manage pests, or in the U.S., contact your local Cooperative Extension office for assistance. /TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/invert.html revised: January 26, 2004. Contact webmaster.