To the naked eye, your lawn might seem picture-perfect—lush, green, and peaceful. But take a closer look just below the surface, and you’ll uncover a secret world teeming with damaging lawn pests. Unfortunately, not all of it is good. Common lawn pests in Northern Maine are hard at work chewing roots, draining nutrients, and tunneling through the soil—quietly damaging your yard without you even realizing it.
Let’s pull back the curtain on these unwelcome guests and explore how Northern Turf can stop them before they take over your lawn.
1. Grubs: Root-Destroying Invaders
Grubs are the larvae of beetles like Japanese beetles and June bugs. These soft-bodied pests live in the soil and feast on the roots of your grass, often leading to unsightly brown patches that peel up like loose carpet.
What to watch for:
- Wilting, thinning turf in late summer or early fall
- Increased presence of animals like birds, skunks, or raccoons digging in your yard
How Northern Turf handles it: Our professional-grade grub control treatments penetrate the soil and eliminate these pests before they can cause widespread damage. Timed applications target grubs at their most vulnerable stage for maximum effectiveness.
2. Chinch Bugs: Small but Destructive Lawn Pests
Chinch bugs are tiny surface-feeding insects that suck the juices from grass blades, especially during hot, dry weather. As they feed, they inject a toxin that kills the grass, leaving behind large, yellowing patches that quickly spread.
Common signs:
- Yellow or straw-colored grass during dry spells
- Damage that worsens in sunny areas of the lawn
Our solution: Northern Turf uses targeted insecticide applications to eliminate chinch bugs and protect your turf from further damage. Our treatments are timed to coincide with peak chinch bug activity for optimal control.
3. Sod Webworms: Nighttime Lawn Destroyers
These lawn pests are the larvae of small moths, and they do their damage under the cover of night. Sod webworms chew grass blades and create small brown patches that can rapidly expand if left untreated.
Clues they’re present:
- Irregular brown spots with chewed grass tips
- Moths fluttering just above the lawn at dusk
Control method: Our lawn pest programs include fast-acting treatments that eliminate sod webworms before they can spread. Our technicians are trained to spot early signs and apply the right products to knock them out quickly.
4. Moles: Tunneling Terrors
While moles aren’t insects, they’re notorious for the damage they cause as they tunnel beneath your lawn in search of food. Their raised ridges and soft tunnels ruin the look and feel of your yard—and they’re often a sign that you have a grub problem, too.
Signs of mole activity:
- Raised ridges or mounds of soil
- Soft, spongy ground when walking across the lawn
What we do: While we don’t offer a service, our team can evaluate your yard and help come up with a plan to keep tunneling to a minimum.
5. Ants: More Than Just a Nuisance
Some ant species, like turf ants, may not directly harm your grass, but their mounds disrupt the lawn’s surface and structure. In larger numbers, they become a persistent annoyance.
Common signs:
- Dirt mounds scattered throughout the lawn
- Ant trails along patios, driveways, or the lawn’s edge
How we handle it: We use effective ant control solutions that target the colony at its source, reducing visible mounds and preventing new ones from forming.
Take Control of Lawn Pests Lurking Beneath Your Lawn
You work hard to keep your lawn looking its best—don’t let hidden pests ruin it. At Northern Turf, we know exactly how to identify and eliminate the insects and animals causing damage beneath the surface. With proven treatments and experienced technicians, we’ll restore your lawn to its healthy, vibrant state.
Ready to protect your turf from what lies beneath? Contact Northern Turf today at 207-544-9420 to schedule your professional lawn pest inspection and treatment! For additional reading on lawn care topics, check out our blog!