Emerald Ash Borer Update

We were  taking a short walk on Saturday afternoon when I spotted a row of trees that were all dead. Why were all these trees in the parking lot completely leafless. This is July and trees should have leafed out by now. If there were not leaves, then something was obviously not right.

Walking towards them, I was thinking, these look like ash trees. As we go closer, sure enough, these were a row of ash trees. Emerald Ash borer.

I looked for holes in the trunk, but didn`t see any on the first couple of trees.

But looking closer, small holes could be seen in the bark of the trunks.

As we wandered through the parking lot, we came across some trees that were severely weakened and chlorotic on top but with a lot of new healthy grow in sprouts coming off the lower part of the trunk.

Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of the top part of the tree - this would show the contrast between the affected (read infected) parts and the still healthy trunk that was sprouting new shoots.

As we kept walking we came upon a row of trees that were still somewhat green

However as we walked along this row of trees, I noticed that there were the Emerald Ash Borer adults on the trunks. I picked up a small pebble and crushed several. There were even a pair of them, one on top the other, mating.

Looks like egg laying season is just around the corner.

There are a couple of options for protecting your ash trees. Treeazin can be injected into the trees. Treeazin contains Neem oil from India. This is an organic product that disrupts the normal functions of insects. Health Canada has banned the use of Neem in many other horticultural  products. Neem can be used in the United States where it is accepted as a GRAS (generally accepted as safe) product.

The other product that can be used is Acecaps. Acecaps contain a systemic insecticide Orthene.

To use Acecaps a small hole is drilled into the base of the tree, then a capsule is inserted into the trunk. As moisture is moved up the trunk, the insecticide contained in the capsule is translocated up through the tree`s plumbing system.

Acecaps should protect your tree for two years. Applications should be made at this time of year. Contact a arborist to evaluate your situation.

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LeatherJacket Damage to Lawns in March

Found a lawn with much Leatherjacket damage. Often the damage is more from the animals digging for a midnight snack than it is from the feeding due to the leatherjackets.

Severe damage can occur, but it's been a while since we've seen one as bad as this.

Bad Case of the Thatch

Visited a lawn today.
On the front was a patch of exposed lawn.

This lawn was sodded in the past couple of years. But the thatch layer is very dense and thicker than it should be. Thatch is good and bad.

A little thatch does help to reduce moisture loss due to evaporation. A small amount can help to cushion the soil from excessive traffic and reduce the risk of compaction.

Too much thatch, however, can act more like a thatch roof. In this case, it prevents rain and water from reaching the root zone. Rain will wash off the lawn rather than seeping into the soil. Excessive thatch also reduces the amount of beneficial oxygen that can reach the roots. It can also impede the movement of fertilizers to the roots. A thick layer of thatch also is where insects like chinch bugs can reside and then cause extensive damage to the turf. And lastly, grubs, while we think of them as eating grass roots, do seem to enjoy feeding on thatch as well. This make "thatchy" lawns more likely to experience a grub attack.

Thatch as seen in the picture above is best removed by core aeration. A dethatching will only treat the symptoms. The real problem is a lack of oxygen to the microbial population that normally decomposes the thatch layer. By improving the soil structure with an aeration, the excess thatch will disappear.

Lawn Care Challenge

This lawn is in more than rough shape. It appears to have been neglected for some time. Lawn care is certainly essential to maintaining a healthy green lawn.

The bare and thin spots did not yield any white grubs or leatherjacket larvae. The thin lawn is likely to have been caused or exasperated by chinch bug damage.
The thinned out turf coupled with a lack of nutrients has also permitted moss to get a toehold on the lawn.

Our recommendation would be to aerate and overseed heavily with a high quality lawn seed mixture that contains endophytic perennial rye, in order to restore a healthy population of grass plants in the lawn.

A program of regular applications of a high quality, slow release fertilizer will help to thicken the lawn and to increase its density.


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Chinch Bug Photo

most chinch bug photos are small and of poor quality

A high resolution photo is available here http://www.nbhta.ca/english/images/Figure_7-4.jpg

See our library for more info on Chinch bugs.

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Grub Damage Recovery Plan

Angie emailed about animals digging in her lawn. Here is our recommendation to her.

Angie, Thanks for your response

The digging by animals is a problem. Most likely there are grubs there. There are not insecticides currently allowed for the treatment of grubs. Nematodes can be used in warm weather. (mid Aug to mid Oct). One problem with nematodes is that they may only control 50-75% of the grubs (if we are lucky). Also it does take time for the grubs to die, therefore, sometimes the skunks and/or raccoons may still come for dying grubs or for the ones that were not controlled.

To look on the bright side, the animals digging for grubs are at least getting rid of some grubs. If you could train them to put the sod back after they are finished, we could hire them.!

The grubs do survive the winter. The animals may be back next spring. By the spring, I would not recommend treating at that time. Nematodes could technically be used in the spring once the soil warms up. Even when chemical insecticides were available, I normally did not recommend treating for grubs in the spring.

Reasons for not treating.

1. Most of the damage to the lawn by the grub is done in the fall. Some feeding does occur, but generally it is minimal

2. Spring grubs have now reached close to their maximum size and are harder to kill with insecticides.

3. Even if they could be controlled, the grubs in your lawn are not necessarily the source of the next batch of grubs to invade your lawn. (grubs pupate in May-June, then emerge as adults in June-July. The adults can fly. This means they can go to other lawns to lay their eggs which then hatch into baby grubs.) So even if we got rid of all the grubs in your lawn, adults from down the road, across the street or from a neighbourhood park, may still fly over to your lawn and lay eggs in the soil. Controlling the grubs in your lawn in the spring will mean less adults flying in your neighbourhood, but not necessarily any less eggs laid on YOUR lawn.

What should you do?

Once the animals have stopped coming to your lawn, replace the sod pieces as best you can, (green side up.) Don't do it every morning, because, most likely they will come back and rip up the same piece tomorrow night. At this time of year, it is cool and damp, the sod, if it is still alive, will survive a few days on its back. By waiting you will be less frustrated - hopefully you replace the sod only once or twice.

If the damage is very minimal, sometimes a couple of pieces of sod, may be an easier fix. Do this if sod is available.

In the spring, add some soil as needed, and sprinkle lots of good quality grass seed that is appropriate for the sun/shade conditions of your lawn. If it is both sunny and shady, and you only want to purchase on type of seed, use shady grass seed. Shady grass seed will grow better in the sun than sunny grass will in the shade.

If the damage is very severe, the easiest way to get grass back is to aerate and overseed. Seeds falling in the aeration holes are protected from drying out, and from the birds. 

Feed the lawn to help it recover from the damage. Good quality fertilizer is important to help the lawn fill the spaces where the roots have been eaten by the grubs.

Consider doing a nematode treatment for Late August- September to control any grubs from the next generation.

Leatherjacket adult = Crane Fly

Leatherjacket larvae eventually turn into an adult Crane Fly. Leatherjackets can be a lawn insect pest in Southern Ontario.
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Pine needle scale

 

These scale insects not only affect the appearance of this Scotch Pine, it can severely affect its health.

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Magnolia scale crawlers

Found these crawlers from Magnolia scale out on the leaves. The crawler stage is mobile. I suppose it is easier to feed from the leaves. Once the cooler fall weather moves in, the scales will move onto the twigs. Otherwise they would lose their attachment to the Magnolia host, once the leaves start to fall off. Wonder how they know when to make their move?

The leaves of the magnolia and the plants, lawn and walkway beneath the magnolia are all covered in a black sticky substance. This is Black Sooty Fungus. Basically, the scale insects are dripping Magnolia sap out the end of the insect. The sugars in the sap attract a fungus disease to grow.

Now is an ideal time to treat the scale insects as the crawler stage is more vulnerable to treatment. Once they have moved back to the twigs, they will form a protective shell. Treatments will not penetrate the shell very easily.


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Scale on Purple Sand Cherry

Scale Insects
Stan emailed us regarding his Purple Sand Cherries (Prunus cistena). They were dying and he found spots on the stems.

Closer inspection did reveal the scale insects. The young ones were out on the stem. The mature ones could be seen in their darker, larger shells.

Treatment is recommended to prevent damage to the shrubs.

Turf King


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Spiders de-light

Lights attract insects, insects attract spiders.

Fall Lawn Tasks

a List of things to do in the Autumn for your lawn

• Seeding thin, bare and weak spots
• Seeding areas where crabgrass is prevalent to help crowd it out next year
• Seeding the lawn overall to increase its density
• Topdressing to improve soil conditions
• Fall is a good time to aerate the lawn- do it along with seeding and/or topdressing
• Soil tests can help determine what nutrients are lacking
• Add horticultural lime to areas of acidity (eg under evergreens)
• Rake moss away and seed
• Fertilize now for winter hardiness and better spring colour
• Continue to mow regularly at 3 inches high
• Lower the mowing height for the last cut to prevent winter diseases
• Watch for insects- white grubs- damage will be visible now.
• Watch for crane fly adults- an indication of future problems with leatherjacket (larvae)
• Chinch bugs - are around but not for long
• Remove fallen leaves from trees before the snow comes
• Think about pruning trees to allow more light into shady areas
• Apply gypsum to areas that may be subject to salt damage -near roads, walks, etc.

Call a Lawn Care professional to set up a Lawn Program for this fall and next spring.

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Leatherjackets have hatched

Lot of Crane fly adults are around, emerging from the lawns.
Mark found a newly hatched larvae Leatherjackets.

The Flourish of Crabgrass

Crabgrass is one unwanted guest in home lawns. It's grass blades are wider than the desirable turf. Its light green colour is not as pleasing as the darker green of the Kentucky bluegrasses and fine fescues that we prefer. Normally crabgrass flourishes in hot weather. It is doing in spite of the cool damp conditions. Here is a stand of crabgrass along the edge of a driveway.

The cooler weather is certainly better for the lawns overall. We are finding chinch bugs, but the damage overall is less severe than if it was hot and dry. White grubs are on the horizon. European chafers are out there mating and laying eggs.

On that weather note, was speaking to our favourite sweet corn grower at Snyders Corn. Apparently the heat units for this season are about 500 units below average. And if you consider that the season is around 2,700-2,800 all told, that's quite a drop. His corn is just waiting for some warm weather and sunshine.

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Another Yellow Flower to Watch For

Most people are aware of and know what a dandelion flower looks like. And it's okay if you like them because you're into dandelion wine or just pretty yellow flowers

Bird's foot trefoil is a lesser know yellow flower. It it not often found in lawns. You are more likely to see it along the roadsides. Especially roads without sidewalks, just near the rural boundaries or along the edge of a field.

What is the significance of this flower? It's what we call an indicator plant. When birds foot trefoil is in bloom, it indicates the chinch bugs are at the height of egg laying.

Of course, after the eggs come the baby chinch bugs or nymphs. These little guys like to suck the sap out of grasses. Enough of them can do a lot of damage to a lot of lawns.

Chinch bug Article in Library.

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Why do some people get chinch bugs?

A homeowner asked, "Will I need chinch bug treatment every year?"
And, "Why do I have chinch bugs and my neighbour doesn't?"

Chinch bugs like warm, sunny conditions. They're like "fair weather" enemies. You are most likely to find them in the sunniest spot on your lawn. Check for them on the south facing lawns, away from trees, shrubs, even fences. Any where that there isn't any shade.

Chinch bugs overwinter in the bushes, along the house foundations, anywhere they can hide for the winter. They are back on the lawns now. (a bit earlier this year than most years.) We are finding them now. This picture is not very clear but it show how small the chinch bugs are.

With the new organic treatments for chinch bugs, not all chinch bugs will be eliminated. We can achieve a level of control that permits the lawns to not show visible damage. This means a few chinch bugs will survive to come back another year.

There are a few things you can do to reduce chinch bug damage and populations.
1. Mow the lawn high. We recommend 3" mowing height. The longer grass blades shade the soil and keep it cooler. A little bit extra shade may be enough to discourage the chinch bugs.
2. Water deeply and infrequently. A stronger, healthier lawn will withstand chinch bug damage better. Chinch bugs suck the sap from the grass. Damage is always worse, for instance, on bentgrass, which is a shallow rooted variety. Deep watering encourages deep roots.
3. Overseed with perennial ryegrass with endophytes. Short version- endophytes discourage chinch bugs. So by having more endophytic perennial ryegrass in your lawn = less chinch bugs.

And the neighbour- maybe he has more shade and is doing all the right things. Sometimes, though it's the neighbour who neglects his lawn that seems to avoid chinch bugs, while you look after your lawn and why do you get the chinch bugs?

I guess, you have to look at it from the point of the chinch bugs. If you were a chinch bug looking for a lawn to feed on, would you choose a neglected lawn or would you choose the green, succulent one that a homeowner can take pride in? Since chinch bugs are sucking insects, small wonder they pick the nice lawns. One of the downsides of having a nice, green lawn.

Chinch bug Article in Library.

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Viburnum Beetle

Went to Bill's place today, to give a treatment to his Snowball and Highbush Cranberry, (both members of the genus Viburnum.)

Viburnum beetle larvae are out in full force right now. The insects really can defoliate a bush very quickly.

I had the same problem on my viburnums a few years ago. The bushes were defoliated in a short time. However, the shrubs regrew a new set of leaves. The last few years, I have not had a problem with this particular insect. Perhaps they also go in cycles.
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If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

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What do I do if I find white grubs in the spring?

In the spring, many people will find grubs in their lawns (or the skunks and raccoons find them and leave a big mess.) The good thing is that the skunks are getting rid of the grubs. If you could just teach them to put the grass back after they have taken the grubs out, I’m sure we could hire them out as grub eradicators.

Generally speaking, we wouldn’t recommend trying to treat for grubs at this time of year. And why not?

First of all, most of the damage grubs do to you lawn is done in the fall. By spring, they are not feeding very much. In a few weeks, the grubs will pupate, and then turn into adults. The adults, then fly around, mate and the females lay eggs on lawns. The cycle then starts all over again.

Secondly, at this time of year, a grub treatment is generally not worth the cost. The products available to control grubs do not work as well in the spring. The grubs are bigger and need more insecticide to control them.

Sometimes if the raccoons and skunks are a problem, people may think that a treatment is worthwhile. The problem with this is that even with an grub control in the spring, the grubs will continue to live for a week or two, and the animals may continue to come to rip up your lawn any ways.

Controlling the grubs in the spring is good for your neighbourhood, but not necessarily for your lawn. If there are less grubs in your lawn now, there will be less adults flying in the neighbourhood. But since the adults can fly, even if we were able to get rid of all the grubs in your lawn in the spring, it doesn’t mean that the adults from down the road or across the street won’t fly over this summer and decide to lay their eggs on your lawn.

Helping out the neighbourhood is great for everyone in the neighbourhood, but not necessarily for your lawn. And since you are the one paying for the treatment, we recommend doing what is best for your lawn.

The first thing is to fix the grub damage. Feed the lawn to improve its health. Add seed to the areas that are damaged to fill in the bare spots.

Then we recommend that your consider using Merit this summer to protect your lawn from the next generation. The eggs laid in the summer turn into “baby” grubs. Baby grubs are the dangerous ones. They have to get fat enough to survive the winter. So, they feed on grass roots all fall. This is when the greatest damage is done to your lawn.

Merit is the most effective way to prevent grubs. And Merit protects your lawn. Merit is taken up by your lawn and if the grubs take a bite, they will die. Merit is much safer than the older insecticides. The old insecticides affect insects, worms, birds and mammals. Merit is very specific in that it is a new type of insecticide. It is of low toxicity. In fact, it is used in products directly on the skin of cats and dogs. Advantage is a flea control product from Bayer. It contains the same active ingredient as Merit.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

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New Insecticide Registration

A new insecticide is now available for use on home lawns to control insects such as Chinch Bug, Ants, and Sodweb worm. DeltaGard , is a third generation synthetic pyrethroid that in addition to formulation improvements provides, superior knockdown activity at much lower use rates than exhibited in previous generations of this insecticide family.
Pyrethroids are essentially man made versions of a natural insecticide (pyrethrins) derived from chrysanthemum plants that is found in nature. This class of insecticides generally exhibits beneficial characteristics that include high toxicity to insects, low toxicity to humans and fast degradation in the environment.

By low toxicity, we mean that the LD50 of Deltagard is in the range of “greater than 15,000 mg/kg.” This means that in comparison to table salt, deltamethrin (the active ingredient) is 5 times LESS toxic. Sodium chloride or table salt has an LD50 of 3,000 mg/kg. See our library entry Safety Issues- Toxicity & LD50 .

Here at Turf King Hamilton, we will continue to use organic insecticides in our Lawn Care programs where possible. If the situation is such that an particular stubborn infestation needs a pesticide treatment, it is good to know that an insecticide of very low mammalian toxicity such as Deltagard is now available.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please give us a call at 905.318.6677 or visit or website www.hamiltonturfking.ca