PEST CONTROL NEWS LETTER JUNE 2010
Irrigation
Inspect your irrigation this month. This is a dry time of year and you need to be sure your grass is getting enough water. Your watering schedule should now be set at 2 days a week. With the spray heads set at 30 minutes (per zone) and rotor heads set at 60 minutes (per zone). If you notice gray spots in your lawn or an area not growing as well as another, chances are you need to increase your water.
Chinch bugs
We are starting to see some chinch bugs, only where irrigation is failing (dry areas) water these dry areas to help prevent chinch bugs from infesting your lawn. Chinch bugs will gravitate to dry areas in lawns.
CHINCH BUG FACTS
Chinch bugs are tiny, hard to see insects that cause damage often confused with drought stress. They are red (when young) or black (when mature) with a white spot on the back in the shape of an “x”. As adults they grow to about 1/4” long. They can occur almost anywhere in a St. Augustine lawn, however they are usually found in hot, dry locations such as along sidewalks or driveways. You can often see them by examine the grass near the soil surface. Chinch bugs suck the juices from grass blades & inject toxins back into the leaf blade. Irregular patches of the lawn first look drought-stressed, gradually turn yellow and then brown. Unless they are eliminated, they will continue to spread throughout the lawn. Because chinch bugs are active during hot, dry weather we provide continuous coverage treatment from May through August.
Mowing higher encourages deeper rooting. Also, it will help the turf handle drought better.
Be sure and check out our web site: www.lawnrangerofstaugustine.com
SCHEDULE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:
June ~ Insecticide ,Liquid Fertilizer October ~ Pre Emergent Herbicide July ~ Insecticide & Liquid Fertilizer November ~ Inspection
August ~ Insecticide, Liquid Fertilizer December ~ Inspection
September ~ Granular Fertilizer applied
