Sod webworms, also called lawn moths or snout moths, come in 20 different types. This insect has 4 life-stages: egg, larvae, cocoon and adult. The lawn moth is only damaging to grass in its larval stage. It lives on the soil layer and causes damage to lawns by eating the grass at night. The damage caused from sod webworms typically shows in April and May. Although sod webworms have a set lifecycle, the yearly change in climate will determine how many generations of webworms will be completed in a year.

Billbugs, also known as snout beetles, include several species. The most common is the bluegrass billbug, which feeds on Kentucky bluegrass. Like the sod webworm, the billbug is only damaging to yards during their larval stage, typically in late April through mid-May. The damage caused by billbug larvae usually doesn’t become noticeable until the summer months.

Female adult billbugs lay their eggs inside of hollowed-out grass stems. Larvae live and eat from inside of the grass stem until they travel to the lawyer of thatch or soil, when they begin eating grass roots. The aesthetic outcome is patches of discolored grass.

The European Chafer beetles begin as white grubs that complete their life cycle in your lawn, eating the roots of your turfgrass! If they aren’t stopped, these nasty grubs can kill your entire lawn. Chafers also attract animal predators such as skunks and raccoons that like to dig them up for food. The resulting attack from above and below can prove to be too stressful for most lawns.