• Home Improvement
    • DIY
    • Remodeling
    • Woodworking
    • Accessories
    • Home Design
      • Furniture
      • Organize
      • Tips
      • Decor
        • Interior
        • Exterior
    • Design Ideas
      • Bathroom
      • Bedroom
      • Dining Room
      • Living Room
      • Kitchen
  • Gardening
    • Backyard
    • Front Yard
    • Landscaping
  • Building Staircase
  • Categories
    • Home Improvement
    • Decor
    • Gardening
    • Woodworking
    • Lifestyle
    • Green Living
    • Real Estate
Dream Lands Design
  • Home Improvement
    • DIY
    • Remodeling
    • Woodworking
    • Accessories
    • Home Design
      • Furniture
      • Organize
      • Tips
      • Decor
        • Interior
        • Exterior
    • Design Ideas
      • Bathroom
      • Bedroom
      • Dining Room
      • Living Room
      • Kitchen
  • Gardening
    • Backyard
    • Front Yard
    • Landscaping
  • Building Staircase
  • Categories
    • Home Improvement
    • Decor
    • Gardening
    • Woodworking
    • Lifestyle
    • Green Living
    • Real Estate
You're here: Home Backyard How to Identify What Pests are Ruining Your Yard and Garden

How to Identify What Pests are Ruining Your Yard and Garden

  • Perla Irish
  • September 18, 2020
Total
2
Shares
0
0
2
0
0
Table of Contents Show
  1. Skunks
  2. Moles
  3. Armyworms
  4. Mole Cricket
  5. Japanese Beetles
  6. Armadillos
  7. Chinch Bugs

Having the perfect backyard is something every homeowner fantasizes about. While managing all the basics, from landscaping to fertilizing to watering and mowing, is fairly straightforward, there is one aspect that poses a challenge for every property owner – pests.

Whether it is insects or wildlife, pests are a terrible menace that plague homeowners. Depending on the pest, the damage to your backyard may differ significantly.

Some pests cause minor inconveniences, like leaving patches of dead lawn, while others cause significant damage like leaving numerous burrows, leaving your once beautiful backyard in ruins.

Every pest has its mannerism and how they affect your property. In this article, we will be looking at a few of these pests and the different ways in which you can identify them.

image - How to Identify What Pests are Ruining Your Yard and Garden
How to Identify What Pests are Ruining Your Yard and Garden

Skunks

Skunks may look cute, but they can do significant damage to your property for their size. These pesky creatures are definitely among those that you should look out for.

Skunks are small-sized creatures with black and white stripes on their bodies. Skunks and moles share similar characteristics in terms of digging, that is.

If your garden or lawn in your backyard has lots of holes in it, it may be a sign that a skunk has built a den nearby. Holes dug by skunks are small and shallow, so they are easily noticeable.

Skunks are nocturnal, and It is also more likely that you will smell one before actually seeing it. For more information on skunks visit howtogetridofskunk.com.


Read Also:

  • Common Household Pests and Why They Should Be Removed from Your Home
  • Natural Insect Control for Small Garden Pests – How to Keep Them Out
  • Keep These Plants in Your House to Keep the Pests Away
  • 5 Tips to Prevent Pests from Invading your Garden

Moles

Moles are small-sized mammals with a pointed nose, tiny eyes, and an equally tiny body. In motion, they appear to use their wide front flipper-like limbs to swim through the ground. Moles prefer moist loamy soil where they can find worms easily.

They dig deep holes (tunnels) that can reach a depth of about 10 inches. They are usually active early in the morning or evening, so you can easily spot them.

If you see numerous volcano-like swellings scattered all over your backyard, it is a clear indication that you have a mole problem and may need expert help.

Armyworms

Armyworms are one-inch-long, smooth skin worms with varying body colors. Generally yellow, green, black, or dark brown, they feed on the grass around your yard, creating brown patches that may appear to be drought-stressed.

The uneven lawn coloration makes your backyard look anything other than beautiful. If you notice these brown patches, do well to use an insecticide that is helpful against them.

Mole Cricket

Mole crickets consume grass and their roots while burrowing underground. Unlike skunks and moles, their holes are not as visible and would take a considerable amount of effort in finding them.

The damage to your backyard is evident by raised burrows and patches of dead grass. You can quickly get rid of them by using insecticide.

Japanese Beetles

When it comes to identifying what is destroying your lawn, the majority of the time, you may have to rely on clues.

If you see adult Japanese Beetles in your garden, and later see that your lawn is dying, chances are you are dealing with lawn grubs.

These pesky larvae not only destroy your lawn by attacking and feasting on plant roots, but they also attract other backyard pests like skunks and moles and even armadillos. You can use nematodes to get rid of them easily.

Armadillos

If you have a garden or shrubs scattered in your backyard, armadillos may seek shelter there. Unlike skunks and moles that dig shallow holes, the armadillo digs multiple burrows about 8 inches in diameter and 15 feet in length.

Aside from having multiple deep holes in your yard, armadillos also use their long claws to uproot lawns and vegetation searching for food.

Armadillos are the only carriers of the bacteria that cause leprosy, adding to another reason to quickly find and relocate them if you have issues with an infestation.

Chinch Bugs

These leaf killers attack lawns and vegetation in sunny areas. They suck the nutrients out of individual grass plants and inject toxins that loosen the grass from the soil.

These insects are tiny, only 1/20 of an inch, spotting black bodies and shiny black wings. The easiest way to spot them and other bugs are to carry out a drench or floatation test.

You can dethatch your lawn to reduce their hiding places, and once found, you can eradicate them by applying insecticide all over your backyard.

Total
2
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 2
Share 0
Share 0
Perla Irish

Perla Irish, who is more familiarly known as Irish, is the Content Manager at Dreamlandsdesign.com. She loves following trends around home and garden, interior design, and digital marketing. Through this blog, Irish wants to share information and help readers solve the problems they are experiencing.

Related Topics
  • pest
  • yard
Previous Article
Featured image - How to Protect Your Home Electrical Systems Against Winter Storms

How to Protect Your Home Electrical Systems Against Winter Storms

  • Perla Irish
  • September 18, 2020
View Post
Next Article
Featured image - Four Ways to Spice Up Your Kitchen Renovations

Four Ways to Spice Up Your Kitchen Renovations

  • Perla Irish
  • September 18, 2020
View Post

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

You May Also Like
Cozy backyard at dusk with warm string lights casting long shadows, soft path lights highlighting a mossy stone garden walkway, and elegant pendant lights illuminating a simple wooden outdoor dining table, spring evening.
View Post

10 Outdoor Lighting Ideas to Transform Your Backyard

  • May 15, 2025
fake grass is the best way to make your outdoor area stand out.
View Post

How Fake Grass Valencia Creates a Perfect Lawn for Hosting and Entertaining

  • April 19, 2025
Modern farm with drones flying over green fields, farmers using tablets and machinery, highlighting innovation and sustainability in agriculture.
View Post

How Agri Pulse Enhances Your Competitive Edge in the Ever-Changing Farming Industry

  • April 19, 2025
A Pink Princess Philodendron in a terracotta pot.
View Post

Light Makes Right: Pink Princess Philodendron Lighting Guide

  • February 20, 2025
Elegant outdoor entertaining space with a rustic wooden pergola adorned with fairy lights, a cobblestone pathway, and vibrant turquoise cushioned lounge chairs on a crisp autumn day.
View Post

From Drab to Fab: Easy Ways to Create an Elegant Outdoor Entertaining Space

  • February 7, 2025
Outdoor deck with cream-colored patio furniture, a wooden fence, and various flowering plants.
View Post

Patio vs. Deck: Which Outdoor Space is Right for You?

  • January 30, 2025
A privet is a flowering plant in the genus Ligustrum
View Post

All About Ligustrum Shrubs: Wax Leaf and Sunshine Variations

  • January 16, 2025
Enjoy your vacation without neglecting your patio plants.
View Post

Keep the Greenery on Your Patio Green, Even When You are Away

  • January 6, 2025
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Input your search keywords and press Enter.