How to Prevent Summer Lawn Pests

Grubs are a common summer lawn pest in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho. Learn more from RentokilKeeping a lawn alive and healthy is hard enough. When you have a lawn pest problem, it can be even harder. Unfortunately, summertime in Utah is a haven for lawn pests, many of which hatch in the late summer and remain active through the fall months. Lawn insects can threaten the health of your roots, damaging existing turf and preventing new growth. A single insect can make a big impact, making it important to learn how to prevent summer lawn pests. The lawn experts at Rentokil are here to share their top tips for keeping lawn pests away for good.

Most Common Summer Lawn Pests

There are several pests that cause the biggest headaches for residents every summer. These include:

  1. Chinch bugs. These pesky insects cause iregula patches of brown in turf when they suck juice from your grass. They love the heat and attack areas in full-sun
  2. Caterpillars. Certain species feed on the actual blades of grass and can quickly eat away at large patched of grass entirely.
  3. Grubs. These immature beetles live under the soil and feed on grass roots. They typically hatch in the late summer.
  4. Fleas & ticks. Although these don’t damage your lawn, they will happily reside in areas in your yard during the summer, endangering your family and pets.

What Can You Do to Prevent Them?

Some of the signs that you have lawn pest damage is brown spots or dying patches. Even wilted blades and bite marks could be signs of a bigger lawn insect problem. To prevent full-blown infestations, it’s important to keep a close watch on your lawn during the summer. Damage can be done before you really notice it, making it essential to keep an eye out. As soon as you notice possible lawn pest activity, it’s best to contact a professional lawn care company. Trying to get rid of them on your own with pesticides can further damage your lawn.

Year-Round Lawn Insect Prevention

The team at Rentokil has a unique understanding of the summer lawn pests in our area. Because these insects can pose such a big threat to the health and longevity of your turf, it’s important to enlist our help to control any infestations as well as keep future pests away. Contact our lawn care experts today to learn more about how we can help prevent summer lawn pests.

How Do You Identify Wasp Nests?

Identifying wasp nests in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho - RentokilWasps are one of the most common summertime pests, especially here in the Northern Utah and Southern Idaho area. Normally a beneficial part of the environment, wasps can create a hazardous environment when they build their nests in residential areas. There are a few different types of wasps in our areas, and they all build different kinds of nests. Although it’s important to never approach a nest, it’s also important to learn how to identify them. The team at Rentokil is here to help you learn how to identify wasp nests.

Most Common Wasp Nests

In our region, we are used to seeing a variety of wasps. The main ones are mud daubers, paper wasps, bald-faced hornets, and, of course, yellowjackets! The main differences between these wasp nests are:

  • Mud daubers. Solitary female mud daubers build nests out of—you guessed it—mud! The nests are small and tubular in size, often looking like organ pipes. They are typically found in cracks or crevices.
  • Paper wasps. Their nests famously look like upside-down umbrellas. These nests are often open, and can get quite large in size. They are typically supported by a single stalk and consist of a paper-like material.
  • Bald-faced hornets. These nests are almost always at least three feet off the ground. They are made of chewed wood fibers mixed with saliva. They often grow to be the size of a football or basketball.
  • Yellowjackets. Nests are a papery material and have a single opening. The inside of a yellowjacket nest can have up to 100 tiers of cells. Yellowjackets can also build underground nests that can be enormous in size.

How to identify wasp nests in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho - Rentokil

Where to Look Out for Wasp Nests

A wasp nest can be in a wide variety of places. Yellowjackets favor areas near the ground, in hollow trees, under porches, and a number of other areas. Mud daubers tend to build their nests in sheltered areas, including under eaves, garages, attics, or on the sides of buildings.

Paper wasp nests are often located under and within the eaves of structures, in attics and wall voids, and in other enclosed areas. Bald-faced hornets, on the other hand, like to build nests high up off the ground. This can mean in trees, but also on structures. In general, wasps tend to favor sheltered spots for their nests.

How to Get Rid of Nests

Bottom line: it’s important to never attempt to knock down or get rid of a wasp nest on your own. Even if it’s small or appears abandoned, there could be more stinging insects inside than you realize. Many types of wasps will sting repeatedly—disturbing them will make them more likely to do so. It’s safe to simply call your local wasp control experts at Rentokil when you need help with wasps.