What is Organic Insect Control?

Nutri-Lawn's organic insect control implements all the features of Integrated Pest Management with the exception that no synthetic pesticides are used. We focus on creating an environment that encourages healthy turfgrass growth so your lawn is capable of tolerating minor insect feeding. Our indepth knowledge in the lifecyles of turfgrass insect pests allows us to implement a variety of management techniques that can dramatically reduce pest populations without using any pesticides.

What Do We Use to Organically Control Insects?

We educate and inform our customers on how to use simple management techniques like those list below. We also use naturally occurring predatory insects called beneficial nematodes as a preventative application to help reduce future grub populations..

Beneficial Nematodes

Beneficial nematodes are microscopic round worms that attack insect larvae in the soil. The nematodes are naturally occurring in our soils and are harmless to mammals like humans, dogs, cats and birds, but to white grubs they are deadly.
We apply nematodes via water to the surface of lawns, and then arrange for either the homeowner to water them into the soil, or time the application with a period of rain.
Beneficial nematodes are best used as in a preventative manner, and should be applied soon after the larvae (grubs) have hatched, in their 1st or 2nd instar. This means that insect damage will not be evident when the nematodes are best applied. Research has shown that using nematodes to control fully grown grubs that have entered their 3rd instar is poor and not recommended. Click here to learn more about nematodes.

Here are a few points to remember when having nematodes applied to your lawn.

They are sensitive to sunlight (UV) and so the application is best done early in the morning or late in the day. Alternatively, they can be applied on an overcast day.

Nematodes need water to survive so water your lawn heavily the day before and afer an application of nematodes. This will accomplish two things. It will drive the grubs closer to the surface on the soil, and it will create a moist environment where the nematodes can live and move. Water the lawn immediately after an application to wash the nematodes down into the soil where they can attack the grubs. Keep the lawn moist for at least two weeks after an application to facilitate nematode infect of the grub.

Aerate the lawn before an application of nematodes in order to open up the soil and make it easier for the nematodes to get down into the soil where the grubs are. We recommend an annual soil aeration for all our customers because of the many benefits it offers.

Cultural Management Techniques

Keeping your lawn healthy and robust will enable it to recover rapidly and tolerate insect feeding. Our programs are designed to achieve this, but there are specific actions that you can take to address different insect pest problems.

Here are a few pointers to help you reduce the lawn damage from turfgrass insect pests.

Allow the top one inch (2.5 cm) of soil to dry out between waterings when the European Cranefly are laying their eggs. European cranefly eggs require almost a 100% humidity to remain viable, and they are laid very close to the surface of soil. When you see giant mosquitoes flying around late summer/early fall try to allow the surface of your lawn to dry out and this will dramatically reduce infestation of the European Cranefly larvae (leatherjackets).
Learn more about European Cranefly.

Maintain good soil moisture in the summer to help your lawn tolerate Chinch Bug damage, but avoid over watering.
Chinch bug feeding causing the lawn to turn brown, and desicate rapidly. If you have been watering sufficiently and the full sun areas of your lawn are getting browner, call Nutri-Lawn immediately as it is probably due to a Chinch Bug infestation. It could also be due to a fungal disease. Either way, call Nutri-Lawn to come and take a look and we will diagnose the problem for you for free. Over watering can leach essential plant nutrients below the root zone, and it can also encourage the establishment of fungal diseases. Learn more about watering.

Aerate annually to control thatch and reduce soil compaction. A thick thatch is the perfect environment for many insect pests to thrive, including Chinch Bugs . By keeping your thatch layer to a minimum you will be discouraging future chinch bug infestations. Aeration also encourages strong, deep, healthy root growth which is essential in order to create a lawn capable of tolerating root feeding insect pests like European Chafer and Leatherjackets. Learn more about soil aeration.

Over seed or slit seed with new robust cultivars of turfgrass. We recommend the use turfgrass seed mixes that include of endophytic perennial ryegrass. Endophtyic grass contain beneficial fungi that deter leaf feeding insects like chinch bugs, sod webworm, and cutworm. Learn more about slit seeding and over seeding.

Ensure a balanced diet of nutrients / fertilizers. Feeding your lawn properly will ensure a healthy, robust lawn that can grow new roots and leaves faster then a minor insect infestation can eat them. A healthy lawn will also recover rapidly from any significant insect damage.

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