Lawn and Garden Pests: Figure Out What Is Damaging Your Yard

Something is wrong in the yard. Maybe the lawn has dead patches, the soil is heaving up in ridges or mounds, or your roses and vegetables look chewed, curled or speckled. Before you buy a product, figure out what is causing the damage. The fix for one yard pest often does nothing for another, and a few common treatments make things worse. Start with the table below, then follow the link to the full guide.

Quick ID: what is damaging your lawn or garden?

Turf torn up overnight often means an animal, such as a skunk or raccoon, is digging for grubs. Check for grubs first, and see the wildlife guides for the animal.

Lawn damage: grubs, moles or gophers?

Three very different pests damage lawns, and each needs its own fix.

White grubs are beetle larvae that eat grass roots. Damaged turf lifts with almost no effort. Cut and fold back a one-foot square of sod and count what you find before you treat. Healthy turf can handle a few grubs.

Moles tunnel just under the surface and push up raised ridges and round mounds. They eat earthworms and insects and rarely eat plant roots. Killing grubs might make a lawn less attractive to moles, but UC IPM notes that research has not confirmed it, so grub treatments are not a reliable mole fix.

Pocket gophers eat roots and whole plants. Their mounds are crescent or horseshoe shaped when seen from above, with a plugged hole on one side. They also chew drip lines and irrigation tubing.

Garden damage: insects or animals?

On plants, look at the leaves up close and at the time of day you see the damage.

• Insects that suck sap. Aphids cluster on new shoots and leave sticky honeydew. Spider mites are almost too small to see and cause speckled, bronzed leaves and sometimes fine webbing.
• Insects that chew. Japanese beetles show up in early summer and skeletonize leaves on roses, grapes, lindens and fruit trees. Their larvae are white grubs that live in lawns.
• Animals that browse. Rabbits clip plants close to the ground with a clean, angled cut. Ragged, torn damage higher up on shrubs is more likely deer.
• Weeds. Dandelions and other broadleaf weeds are a lawn problem of their own. That guide covers digging, lawn care and herbicide timing.

Prevention: integrated pest management for yards

The same integrated pest management approach that works indoors works outside:

1. Look often. While plants are growing fast, check them at least twice a week. Look at leaf undersides, new growth and the edges of any brown patches.
2. Identify before you treat. Use the table above, or take a sample to your county extension office.
3. Go easy on fertilizer. Extra nitrogen produces the soft new growth aphids feed on. Slow-release products in smaller doses are better.
4. Protect natural enemies. Lady beetles, lacewings, syrphid fly larvae and parasitic wasps keep aphids in check. Broad-spectrum insecticides kill them along with the pests.
5. Use barriers. A fence of 1-inch mesh at least 2 feet tall, with the bottom buried or staked down, keeps cottontail rabbits out of a garden.
6. Treat only where needed, with the lowest-risk option. Start with a water spray, hand-picking or insecticidal soap before stronger products. Read and follow the label, and see using pesticides safely.

The seasonal pest calendar shows which yard pests to watch for each month.

Wildlife rules come first. Trapping, moving or killing moles, gophers, rabbits and other animals is regulated differently in each state. Check with your state wildlife agency before you set a trap, and never use poison on wildlife.

When to call a lawn care or pest professional

Most garden insect problems and small weed patches are DIY jobs. Bring in help when:

• Grub damage is widespread or returns every year, and you want someone to sample and time treatment for you.
• A large tree is losing leaves to beetles or dripping aphid honeydew, and you cannot reach the canopy. A certified arborist is the right call here.
• Moles or gophers keep coming back after you have tried yourself. A licensed wildlife control operator knows your state’s trapping rules.
• You want a product that only licensed applicators can use in your state.

Ask any company what pest they found, how they confirmed it and which active ingredient they plan to use. If a lawn program applies the same products on a calendar, ask whether each one is based on something they found in your yard. Our guides to choosing a pest control company and pest control costs explain how to compare quotes.