Growing Things: Protect lawn from sod webworm and raspberries from insects, disease – Edmonton Journal

Q: For the last few summers I have been getting brown spots on my lawn. I thought it may have been due to the drought the last few summers, but with all the rain this year I am still getting these spots. When I cut the grass there are also small, white moth-looking flies that come up from the grass.

Any idea what is causing the spots? I fertilize the grass three times during the growing season, and this is much more prominent on my front lawn, which gets the afternoon sun. Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

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A: The problem is sod webworm. The small, white or gray moths that are seen flying over the grass are the adults. They hide in the grass during the day and fly in a zigzag pattern when disturbed. They can be easily recognized by their habit of folding their wings closely around their bodies when at rest. They lay eggs throughout the lawn.

The young larvae (webworms) mine the leaf surface as they work their way to the soil to build tunnels, Webworms stop feeding in the fall and overwinter in the soil or thatch. They pupate in the spring and emerge as moths. The damage they cause is evident as irregular brown patches in the turf. These patches grow larger and can cover entire lawns. Damage is most severe in the middle to late summer. All grasses are attacked, especially bluegrasses and newly seeded lawns.

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Growing Things: Protect lawn from sod webworm and raspberries from insects, disease - Edmonton Journal