Lawn and Turf: Ants Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Insects Last review date: 2025-10-14 08:20 Thatching ant mound Photo by: A.L. Antonelli Biology Ants are primarily a nuisance pest in lawns. Occasionally, they may kill the grass, causing an aesthetic problem. Various species may occur in lawns, including harvester ants which can have […]
Lawn and Turf: Billbugs Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Insects Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:33 Billbug adult Photo by: K. Grey Biology Billbugs are a problem in eastern Washington. They have not yet been detected in western Washington. Both the adults and larvae cause damage. Kentucky bluegrass is severely damaged, while bentgrass is […]
Lawn and Turf: Chinch bugs Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Insects Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:34 Chinch bug adult Photo by: D. Pehling Biology Chinch bugs feed on the stems, injecting a toxic saliva as they feed. Damage typically appears in mid- to late summer. Affected grass turns yellow and dies. The damage […]
Lawn and Turf: Cutworms Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Insects Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:36 Redbacked cutworm Photo by: K. Grey Biology Cutworms are the larvae of noctuid moths. These common moths are medium-sized with fairly dull coloration. The greenish, grayish, or tan caterpillars are hairless, nocturnal, and generally spotted, striped, or otherwise […]
Lawn and Turf: European crane fly Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Insects Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:38 European cranefly damage on lawn Photo by: C.R. Foss Biology The larvae of the European cranefly feed on the crowns of grasses during the winter and spring. Damage can be severe in lawns, appearing as large […]
Lawn and Turf: Leafhoppers Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Insects Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:41 Leafhopper Photo by: K. Grey Biology Leafhoppers are slender, somewhat wedge-shaped insects that hop or fly just above the lawn surface when disturbed. They are variously-colored, from yellowish to green to gray-brown. The wings are typically held roof-like […]
Lawn and Turf: Moles Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Insects Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:45 Mole Photo by: D. Pehling Biology There are three species of moles in the Pacific Northwest which are considered a problem in landscapes. The Townsend’s mole (Scapanus townsendii) is the most common and is found throughout western Washington […]
Lawn and Turf: 2,4-D damage Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:46 2,4-D damage to grass Photo by: Beth Staley Biology Bentgrasses are commonly used for lawns in western Washington and found as weeds in eastern and western Washington. Both weedy species and cultivated varieties are susceptible to damage […]
Lawn and Turf: Algae Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:47 Black algae Photo by: G. Stahnke Biology Algae are tiny, single-celled plants commonly found in lakes and wet areas. Algal growth on lawns is common in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest, particularly on grass planted in […]
Lawn and Turf: Anthracnose/Basal crown rot Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:49 Basal crown rot Photo by: R.S. Byther Biology Anthracnose of turfgrass is a fungal disease with two phases: Phase I affects the leaves and is active in the summer. Typical symptoms include yellow to tan or […]
Lawn and Turf: Brown blight Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:49 Brown blight Photo by: R.S. Byther Biology Brown blight is a fungal disease affecting the leaves of perennial ryegrass and some fine fescues. Infection commonly occurs during cool, wet periods. The disease is typically worse during the […]
Lawn and Turf: Brown patch Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:50 Brown patch Photo by: G. Stahnke Biology Brown patch is a fungal disease typically affecting bentgrasses and annual bluegrasses. Infected grass appears as patches a few inches to several feet in diameter. The patches are generally circular […]
Lawn and Turf: Curvularia blight (Fading out) Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:51 Biology Curvularia blight of turfgrass can be caused by eight species of fungi. Infected areas of lawn develop yellow or dappled yellow-green patches 2 to 3 inches in diameter. These patches later turn reddish-brown. The […]
Lawn and Turf: Dog injury Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:52 Dog damage dead patch Photo by: R.S. Byther Biology Dog injury typically appears on lawns as brown, circular patches a few inches in diameter. These patches may be surrounded in a few days by a ring of […]
Lawn and Turf: Dollar spot Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:53 Dollar spot Photo by: G. Stahnke Biology Dollar spot is a fungal disease that affects most turfgrass species under low fertility. Leaves develop water soaked, dark lesions which become light tan with a reddish-brown margin as they […]
Lawn and Turf: Fairy ring and mushrooms Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:54 Fairy ring and mushrooms Photo by: R.S. Byther Biology Several species of fungi can cause fairy rings in lawns. The common symptoms may include a ring of dead grass with darker green grass and mushrooms […]
Lawn and Turf: Leaf spot Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:55 Drechslera leaf spot Photo by: R.S. Byther Biology Fungal diseases of turf caused by Drechslera sp. include leaf spot and melting-out, root, crown, and rhizome rots, and net blotch. Leaf spots first appear as small, water-soaked areas […]
Lawn and Turf: Microdochium patch (Pink snow mold) Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:55 Fusarium patch Photo by: R.S. Byther Biology Fusarium patch is a fungal disease common in western Washington. It is typically most severe on bentgrass and annual bluegrass at low mowing heights in shaded areas. […]
Lawn and Turf: Moss Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:56 Moss in lawn. Photo by: G. Stahnke Biology Mosses are small, simple, non-flowering plants. They are typically low-growing and somewhat yellowish-green in color. They grow vigorously in the cool, moist weather of fall, winter, and spring, when lawn […]
Lawn and Turf: Necrotic ringspot Categories: Lawn and Turf Lawn and Turf Diseases Last review date: 2025-08-16 02:57 Necrotic ring spot Photo by: R.S. Byther Biology Necrotic ringspot (NRS) is a fungal disease primarily occurring on Kentucky bluegrass in central and eastern Washington and Oregon. It is most common on 2- to 5-year-old lawns grown […]