Are There “Good Bugs” When it Comes to My Turfgrass?
Often, posts such as these focus on the insects that do damage to your turf. Today, we’re taking it in a bit of a different direction. Here are the insects that benefit your grass maintenance strategies, either directly or indirectly, and are common in Columbia SC.
Insects to Welcome into Your Lawn
Earthworm
These bugs are essential for filtering and refreshing the soil in your lawn and garden.
Praying Mantis
Regarded as a thorough hunter, these insects will eat any pests, but focus their energy on moth larva. Moths are known to destroy entire plants, including turfgrasses.
Lacewing
Mature adult lacewings feed primarily on nectar, but the immature larva control populations of harmful insects to turf, including mites, aphids and small caterpillars.
Ground Beetle
These predatory insects improve growing conditions by feasting on common turf antagonists like snails, slugs and cutworms.
Insects to Avoid
While there are many more varieties of these harmful bugs, they can be mostly vanquished by the right combination of beneficial insects.
- Asiatic garden beetles and Japanese beetles
- Cutworms
- Aphids and common mites
- Cabbage worms
These insects not only damage your turf quality but can also damage your garden, so it’s important to keep them from taking over.
An experienced turf expert can tell you how to control these pests and promote the populations of beneficial insects in your lawn and garden. For more information, contact the Columbia, SC grass maintenance experts at Modern Turf today!
