Your natural lawn is a battlefield. Every day, your turf wages war against weeds, pests and diseases for space, sunlight, nutrients and other resources essential to healthy grass growth. Pests, in particular, often have the upper hand with their active persistence and keen survival skills. Expel them from your lawn and keep them from coming back for good with Tampa synthetic grass!
Common Pests in Florida Lawns
Florida’s climate and environmental conditions make it an ideal breeding ground for various insects. If you have a natural lawn, there’s a huge chance that one or several of these pests are hiding among its grass, turf and roots:
Army Worms
Also known as grubs, armyworms thrive underneath the turf. They feed on root patches, making the grass on top of the areas they consumed look like they’re suffering from water deprivation. The recovery rate of a grub-infested lawn varies depending on when you took measures to control these hungry critters.
Sod Web Worms
The larval stage of brown moths, sod webworms can munch on the grass overnight, leaving sick, damaged patches in their wake. Getting rid of them is an uphill battle since older larva is often resistant to insecticides. Artificial turf in Tampa, FL is not alive, so it doesn’t have nutrients for these nasty bugs to feast on. Go synthetic, and you’ll never have to deal with sod webworms again.
Chinch Bugs
Properties with St. Augustine grass often have these sneaky critters. Small enough to warrant the use of a magnifying glass for identification, chinch bugs drain the liquids from the turf. It leaves dry and brown grass in its wake. While harmless to humans, they can destroy lawns if left unmitigated.
Hunting Billbugs
These destructive weevils often attack Bermuda and zoysiagrass, leaving yellow and dying turf in their wake. Billbug larvae munch on roots, while adult billbugs feast on the stems, stolons and rhizomes. The strategic application of insecticides is the best way to control them.
Fire Ants
While these insects can help your grass grow better by aerating the soil, the nasty bites they give to anyone unfortunate enough to get close to them is hardly worth the trade. Fire ant bites can cause skin irritation, rashes and swelling. In extreme cases, their attacks can trigger allergic reactions, lead to paralysis or trigger anaphylactic shock.
Mole Crickets
Mole crickets are a menace to your lawn’s root system. They tunnel through the soil to feed on turf roots, which can kill large patches of your yard. Their burrowing can also push up the ground, disrupting seed germinating, intensifying surface moisture evaporation and damaging the roots of growing grass.
How Synthetic Grass Keeps Pests Away
Tampa synthetic grass doesn’t attract pests. Since it’s made of artificial materials, insects won’t be able to draw nutrients from its fibers. It also doesn’t grow, so it’s not a great place to live, breed and nest in. Because bugs don’t thrive in artificial grass, the pests that eat them won’t be inclined to invade your turf. This makes synthetic turf the most effective solution to your pest problem.
Prevent Pest Infestations for Good with Artificial Grass
Never deal with worms, grubs, crickets, bugs, ants, moles and other persistent pests when you go synthetic. For good measure, invest in artificial grass for your pool surrounds, pet runs, indoor installations and putting green in Tampa as well to keep them pest-free!
What other artificial grass applications do you have in mind? Call Tampa Artificial Grass Pros today at 408-317-0931 to discuss your project!