Our yards should be a place of beauty and tranquility. However, pests can quickly destroy this peace by destroying our plants, yard, and even physically harming us.
Unfortunately, Atlanta is home to many yard pests that can destroy our yards. If you’ve noticed pests creeping into your yard, continue reading to learn more about pest prevention and what pests are common in Atlanta.
In today’s guide, we will cover all this and more:
- Pest Identification
- Identifying Common Atlanta Yard Pests
- Pest Prevention
Pest Identification
We tend to think of all “pests” as problems. However, in our yards, many pests are beneficial to our plants and the environment. For example, spiders eat other harmful insects that do much more damage to the yard. Bees, while annoying, are crucial to the environment’s health because they pollinate plants.
So before you start treating all pests that you see in your yard, take a moment to identify which pests are the most harmful. To help you out, we’ve created a list of some of the most common yard pests in Atlanta that are harmful to your yard.
Common Yard Pests in Atlanta
Armyworms
Armyworms can be mistaken for caterpillars because of their similar looks. However, armyworms are far more damaging, and they breed quickly and spread their eggs across the lawn. Once born, armyworms will continuously feed off of your lawn, creating unsightly brown patches.
They are most common during late summer and early fall. Birds are attracted to armyworms, so if you see a sudden increase in birds coming to your yard, it may be due to the armyworms present in your lawn.
Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles are the biggest threat during the early summer when they begin to lay eggs in the grass of your lawn. Japanese beetle eggs hatch into grub worms, which homeowners dread due to the large amount of damage they cause.
Grubs are damaging bugs that will eat away at the roots of your grass, causing deep-rooted damage to your lawn. Common signs of grubs include seeing the disgusting grubs yourself and patches of damaged, dying grass.
Mole Crickets
Mole crickets are unsightly pests with large forelimbs that allow them to dig and burrow easily. They are known for causing immense damage to lawns because of their tunneling, which loosens and uproots grass, causing the grass to die. Mole crickets are most dangerous to young, freshly planted grass.
Common signs of mole crickets include dying grass, disrupted soil, and tunnels. Like moles, they will create runways and uproot seedlings.
Pest Prevention
Treating pests can be difficult, which is why preventative measures are always more ideal than treating pests later on.
Here are a few of our top recommendations for preventing pests from entering your yard and making it their home:
- Choose a variety of plants, especially plants that are known to be tough and pest-resistant
- Pull dead plants and weeds immediately
- Groom your yard by cutting tall grass and overgrown plants to avoid creating pest-friendly areas in your yard
- Double-check that your garbage cans lids are secured to prevent pests from accessing food or using your garbage can as shelter
- Remove any nesting materials, such as paper, cardboard, wood, and garbage to prevent pests from creating nests
- Avoid scattering birdseed on the ground because this could attract other pests
- Treat any standing water on your property to prevent mosquitoes from gathering and breeding on your property
- Use citronella candles or citronella plants to repel pests
- Treat for any pest infestations immediately to prevent other pests, who will often follow, from gathering and worsening the situation
If you notice pests in your yard, don’t wait to reach out to an Atlanta pest control company for an inspection of your property. The sooner you reach out, the sooner you can have the problem dealt with and avoid worse pest issues.