Insects-Home Lawns
Many different insect pests are found in home lawns in Mississippi. These include insects such as chinch bugs and white grubs that directly attack and damage turf grass, pests such as slugs and millipedes that can become a nuisance when they occur in high numbers, and pests such as fire ants, wasps, and ticks that directly attack people using the lawn.
Publication 2331, Control of Insect Pests in and around the Home Lawn, provides information on identification, management, and control of most of the insect pests encountered in Mississippi lawns.
For more detailed information on fire ants see Publication 2429, Control Fire Ants in Your Yard.
For information on controlling insects in sports turf, golf courses or other commercial turf situations see Publication 1858, Insect Control in Commercial Turf.
More Information:
Two-lined Spittlebugs, Bug-Wise Newsletter No. 11, 2005
Controlling Ticks on Pets and in the Lawn, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 13, 2005
Zoysiagrass Mites, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 19, 2004 (page 2)
Fire Ants in Home Lawns, Bug-Wise Newsletter, No. 6, 2011
Fall Armyworms in Home Lawns, Athletic Fields, and Other Places, Bug-Wise Newsletter No. 9, 2010
Paper Wasps, Bug-Wise Newsletter No. 7, 2012
Publications
News
Fall armyworms can be different colors and range from light green to almost black. Photo by Blake Layton
If you’re a homeowner who loves your bermudagrass lawn, be on the lookout for fall armyworms. These caterpillars can eat voraciously, devouring yards within just a day or two. These pests show up every year from late summer to early fall, and you never know exactly when or how many there will be.
Mississippi is home to numerous butterflies, ranging in a variety of colors. (Photos from Canva Pro)
Butterflies are a fan-favorite insect among many people. Not only are they pleasing to watch, they also play a vital role in our environment. Butterflies are pollinators, meaning they move pollen from one flower to another, fertilizing plants so they can reproduce. They’re both beautiful AND beneficial!
Lawns, pastures and even winter food plots are at risk as an insect army advances across much of the state in higher than normal numbers. Blake Layton, entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said fall armyworms are the most damaging insect pests of bermudagrass hayfields and pastures
Mississippi is home to several flying insects that can be mistaken for the invasive Asian giant hornet discovered in Washington in 2020. Blake Layton, Mississippi State University Extension Service entomologist, said this insect, also called a “murder hornet,” has not been confirmed outside the Northwest. However, Layton said he has been contacted by people who think they have seen these hornets in Mississippi and Alabama in the last few weeks.
Carpenter bees and bumble bees may look a lot alike, but they are very different. Graphic by Michaela Parker.
What’s the difference between a carpenter bee and a bumble bee? A lot. They look similar, but they are very different. Find out more about the habits of each one.
