3 Types Of Lawn Treatments For Pests

If your lawn has a pest problem, you'll want to get control of the situation right away. Some lawn pests can spread to your garden or can become so problematic that large patches of the lawn could die. Or you may have blood-sucking pests, such as fleas, in your lawn, rather than grass-eating pests.

Prompt treatment can help avoid these problems. But before you choose a lawn treatment, you'll have to learn what options are out there. Here are some of the common types of lawn treatments for pests. 

1. Predators

Some lawn pests can be controlled by releasing insect predators on your lawn. For example, specific types of nematodes can eat fleas, fire ants, and similar pests. Your lawn treatment professionals can help you source these; they can often be ordered online. Then, they're simply applied by spreading them over the surface of the lawn (sometimes using a spray attachment that you attach to your hose).

Other types of predators that you can release to control lawn pests include ladybugs, praying mantis, and lacewings. These predatorial insects eat smaller insects, such as aphids, scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs, caterpillars, and other lawn pests. Before choosing predatorial insects, have your lawn treatment professionals identify the lawn pests in your grass to ensure your chosen predator is the right targeted solution.

2. Targeted insecticides

Insect-killing chemical treatments for lawns are extremely common, and you can pick them up in any landscape and garden center. Some common chemical choices for lawn pest treatments include the following:

• B-Cyfluthrin based products
• Zeta-Cypermethrin based products
• Bifenthrin based products
• Chlorantraniliprole based products

These and other chemicals can kill and control many types of insect pests. Some insecticides are more targeted, whereas others are more broad-spectrum. Some have additional concerns, such as the potential to harm beneficial insects or marine life.

3. Natural treatments

One example of natural pest-killing treatment is insecticidal soap. While it doesn't contain pest-killing chemicals, insecticidal soap does kill many types of pests because it's a surfactant and dries out their tiny bodies (similar to how washing your hands too often dries out the skin). Keep in mind that just because a treatment is natural or organic doesn't mean it can't harm the environment or a beneficial insect. Work with your lawn treatment professionals to decide if natural or organic treatments are right for you.

These are just a few lawn treatments you and your lawn care professionals may choose when looking to solve a pest problem. Get in touch with your lawn treatment company today to discuss which treatments would work best for your lawn.