If you notice that your lawn in Texas has patches of dead, brown, or yellow grass, it could be caused by either chinch bugs or grubs. Chinch bugs are tiny insects that feed on the blades of grass, causing them to turn yellow, wilt, and sometimes, die. Meanwhile, grubs are the larvae of beetles that feed on the roots of your grass. When left to their own devices, grubs will destroy your lawn's roots completely and cause it to become unanchored to soil, making it loose and easy to lift! If you suspect that your lawn is being damaged by one of these pests, you'll want to schedule a professional lawn insect control service so experts can check your grass and apply the right treatment to eliminate the specific pest infestation.

What does grub damage look like?

Three grubs in the soil in Dallas, TX.

Grubs are the larvae of beetles that feed on the roots of your grass. These pests can cause serious damage to your lawn if they're not dealt with in a timely manner. If you suspect that your lawn is suffering from grub damage, there are a few tell-tale signs to look out for, including:

  • Brown patches: One of the most common signs of grub damage is brown patches on your lawn. This is because grubs feed on the roots of your grass, which can cause it to die and turn brown.
  • Loose turf: If you notice that your turf is loose and can be easily pulled up like a carpet, it could be a sign of grub damage. This happens because the roots of your grass are no longer attached to the soil due to grubs munching on them.
  • Increased animal activity: An increase in animal activity on your lawn, such as birds or raccoons, could be a sign of a grub infestation. These animals will frequent your lawn because they feed on grubs and will find an abundant source of food on your property.

What does chinch bug damage look like?

Chinch bug on a grass blade in Dallas, TX.

Chinch bugs are tiny insects that feed on the blades of grass. They have piercing mouthparts that draw out vital fluids from your lawn and inject a harmful toxin that inhibits proper movement of water within your turf. Here are a few tell-tale signs to look out for if you think these pests have infested your lawn:

  • Yellowing grass: One of the most common signs of chinch bug damage is yellowing grass, as these critters will essentially dehydrate your lawn as they suck fluids from the grass blades.
  • Wilting grass: Wilting grass blades indicate chinch bug damage, as these lawn pests will take away juices from your turf and block it from drawing up more moisture.
  • Dead patches: Severe chinch bug infestations can cause patches of dead grass as more chinch bugs wreak havoc on your lawn.
Chinch bugs suck out the sap from grass blades using their piercing mouthparts.

What should you do if your lawn is showing signs of grub or chinch bug infestation?

If you suspect that your lawn is suffering from either chinch bug or grub damage, you'll want to contact lawn care professionals right away to schedule a lawn insect control service. These experts will come out to your property to inspect your lawn and determine which pest is causing the damage. They will then apply the appropriate insect control treatment to eliminate them and stop them from causing further damage.

It will also benefit your lawn if you sign up for lawn care services to help it recover and get back to growing strong and healthy. Lawn fertilization treatments will provide your lawn with nutrients that will boost its strength, fuel healthy growth, and fortify its roots. You should also sign up for weed control treatments to eliminate any nutrient-stealing weeds and an aeration service to allow your lawn to absorb more nutrients, water, and sunlight!

Call us today to schedule our chinch bug or grub control service!

Whether your lawn is infested with chinch bugs or grubs, we can help. Our team at Weedex Lawn Care offers chinch bug control and grub control services to homeowners in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and nearby cities in Texas. We stand by our work, meaning we will be there to address any issue if we make a mistake—which we make sure we don't do! Give us a call today at (972) 727-9207 to schedule our chinch bug and grub control services!