So, you have a sod webworm problem on your lawn. And it’s eating you up (and your grass as well).
Sod webworms are the larvae (grubs) of adult lawn moths. They destroy lawns by chewing at grass on the root level and making brown patches everywhere.
While the damage is alarming, it’s quite manageable if you put in some work and effort.
The typical homeowner won’t even notice any damage until the dry season, then they become surprised at what’s going on.
Thankfully, you can control, manage, and eradicate webworms form your grass by practicing some basic techniques.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
How to identify sod webworms
Why your lawn is infested
Signs of damage
How to get rid of them naturally
How to repel and keep them out of your grass
How to kill them without sprays
Ways to make your lawn less favorable to lawn moths and worms
Ways to prevent re-infestation
And more
You should have a decent understanding of the lawn moth and their webworm larvae by the time you make it through this guide.
It’s quite lengthy because everything is covered in detail. Feel free to bookmark it so you can easily reference back to it if you wish.
And if you have any questions about your specific lawn pest problem, feel free to post a comment at the end of this guide or contact me directly (as usual).
Sound good? Let’s turn those webworms into sod!
Sections
What’s a sod webworm?
A sod webworm is the larvae (baby) form of an adult lawn moth.
The larvae look like a caterpillar with segmented sections and a repeating patterning on its back. They feed at the root level of your grass, plants, or other edible vegetation.
If you see weird-looking saucer-shaped patches of bare grass, this is a sign of webworms. Webworms may be difficult to spot because they’re hiding under the garden in tunnels.
You may never even notice the damage until the dry season comes.
As for the adults, they’re often seen during mowing when they fly out of your lawn as you mow or walk across your grass. The adult form is a moth with two large antennas and a 1” wingspan.
They appear as brown, tan, silver, black, gray, or any mix of these shades. While the adult form is harmless and won’t damage your lawn, the larvae will.
Why are moths flying out of my lawn?
This is because your lawn likely has a webworm infestation.
If you see moths flying out when you trim the lawn or get nearby, they fly out because they’re disturbed. Identity the moth by catching it if you can and use the guide below for identification.
Other names
Sod webworms have a few other aliases you may have come across:
Lawn moths
Sod worm
Lawn worm
Grass worm
Fall armymoth
Fall webworm
Crambus sp.
Turf caterpillars
Tropical sod webworm
Turf worms
Crambid snout moths
The sod webworms are the larvae of lawn moths.
They can be seen on the soil, but usually hide in the soil at the root level. They consume the grass leaves and also create silky, webby tunnels that they use to travel around your lawn without being seen by predators.
They all largely refer to the same pest- sometimes mistakenly.
The miller moth (army cutworm) is often confused with the casual homeowner. And it’s easy to get confused since they’re so similar to each other. The white furry wings and gray/silver markings don’t necessarily stand out to segregate the species, right?
But it’s still critical to identify the sod webworm vs. other moths because then you’ll be sure you’re using the most effective elimination methods rather than wasting energy on a sub-par DIY home remedy.
Appearance – What do they look like? How do I identify them?
Lesser sod webworm (By Yangkech gary, Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
The sod webworm is a moth, so it has a similar appearance just like any other moth. There are over 155 species in this genus (Crambidae), and they’re all related in their phenotypes.
Because it’s a moth, it has multiple, distinct phrases as part of its life cycle, and how it looks changes each time.
The two that you’ll often come across in your lawn are the larvae (worm/caterpillar) and the adult moths. Even though one is a worm and the other is a flying insect, it’s important to note that they’re the SAME pest.
When you walk by your own and you see lawn moths flying out, those are the adult sandworms.
When you see damaged, patchy portions of missing grass, there’s likely larvae there chewing on the foliage.
Let’s go over each one in detail so you can identify them correctly:
Larvae (caterpillar or worm)
Whatever you want to call it, the larvae are the main source of the damage.
The larva has a dark, black head with a brown or gray body. It is segmented and has visible divisions along the body.
Webworm larvae go through multiple instars, with changes on each one. The body gets slightly bigger each instar, with a maximum width of around 1” upon the third instar.
They’re easily visible and can be found eating the broad or narrow young leaves of their host plant. If you comb through your lawn and see those random worms eating it up.
The larvae are hard to see and blend in well with the vegetation.
Adult
The adult moths are the ones you typically see flying around your home and garden.
They’re about 0.5” in length and have wingspans of 1.0”. They can be yellow, brown, silver, fold, or black.
They usually have striped or patterned markings on the back and wings.
On the head, you’ll see long antennas (technically called labial palpi) that stick out in front of their snout.
When landed, they fold their wings beneath their bodies and provide excellent camouflage. Similar to any other moth, they can easily be confused with army cutworms, milkweed bugs, pantry moths, or even grain weevils.
Adults fly in a zigzag pattern near the lawn. A distinguishing feature that you can use to identify webworm moths is that the wings are held flat over the body, whereas other webworms fold their wings into a triangle over the top.
Lawn moth vs. other moths
Since most people can’t tell a lawn moth from any other moth (pantry moth, meal moth, or carpet moths) it’s useful to have some ways to identify them.
Just look for these key indicators to be sure that it’s a lawn moth:
Small brown or white moths that hover around the lawn surface
A zigzag pattern when they fly
Usually found in small groups
The same species are always in the same areas of your lawn
Wings that fold flat when landed
Found during the spring and summer
Two long antennae sticking out from the head
1” wingspan that points “backward” when folded
It may be difficult to tell, but if you see the presence of their larvae at night, you can be sure that it’s a lawn moth problem. The signs of damage are also a giveaway
Lifecycle
The lifecycle of the lawn moth is unremarkable. It’s similar to any other moth and consists of an egg, larvae, pupae, and adult.
Adult moths will mate and the female will deposit eggs in a suitable lawn. The eggs are laid in June.
Egg
Eggs are tiny and ovular. They range from brown to orange in coloration. They’re about 0.3-0.6mm in length.
These are not easy to see with the naked eye and even harder to find standing up.
They hatch about 2-3 weeks later, depending on local variables like temperature and humidity.
Some bugs may eat the eggs before they hatch. Ladybugs are a beneficial insect that prey on larvae and eggs of a wide variety of pests.
Larvae
This is what causes the most damage to your lawn.
They can be a range of colors from brown, tan, green, yellow, silver, gray, to white. They have dark circles that extend down the body. They feed and damage the lawn. They go through multiple molts, getting bigger each time.
Before winter, the larvae will wrap themselves up in a warm little cocoon. It ranges from yellow to brown. It changes over time. They’re about 0.1″ wide by .3″ long. They look like a small clump of dirt. The cocoon renders them immobile. It also shields the worms from the winter.
Adult
Adults come out of pupation in the spring. These are the flying moths you see. They mate and repeat the cycle.
Types of webworms
There are dozens of identified webworms in the Crambus genus.
Depending on where you live and what’s native, you may encounter the following species:
Crambus pascuella
Crambus perlella
Crambus pratella
Crambus ericella
Crambus alienllus
Wood grass veneer
Hook streaked moth
Where are they found?
They’re found all over the US. Some US states have more worms than others simply because of the climate.
Texas, Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina, California, New Mexico, Florida, and other states in the southern US. They’re found in warm, tropical, and coastal regions of the US. Hot and dry weather is their favorite climate.
When do sod webworms go away?
They don’t. They’ll remain a pest in your lawn until you get rid of them.
The adults that emerge in the spring will mate and then lay eggs near the host site, as they’re not a migratory species. This is why you need to do something about them sooner than later.
When do webworms feed?
They feed during the night as they’re nocturnal species.
They’re good at hiding and camouflaging themselves with their colors. You may never even notice them until you see extensive damage to your grass.
If you want to look for them, use a comb, shovel, and magnifying glass. You’ll need to get up close to your grass in the patchy parts.
What do they eat?
They love St. Augustine grass.
Sod webworms eat a variety of grasses.
This doesn’t just mean the St. Augustine grass you have growing on your lawn. It also includes other cool-season grasses, turf grasses, and some warm-season grasses.
Some plants where you may find webworms munching on or around are:
If the area you’re in is nice and cool, then it provides a suitable environment for sod webworms to infest. The damage is easily seen, but if the weather is dry and there’s a lack of water, the damage to your lawn becomes pronounced.
In areas with regular drought seasons, the damage from webworms will become more apparent. They’re good at hiding. If you look closely around the area of damage, you may find it buried there in the center of the host plant.
They don’t travel far from home.
Do sod webworms kill grass?
Sod webworms will damage grass, and if the grass is already in drought, you can expect even more bare spots.
While they were first recognized as a serious issue back in the 1930s, they’ve become a persistent issue now infesting backyards over golf courses.
They have been seen eating these grasses:
Bermudagrass
Centipedegrass
Seashore paspalum
St. Augustine grass
Bahiagrass
But if you leave them alone, they can wipe out a lawn in just a few days. If it’s a serious infestation, there are likely downs of them right below the soil surface chewing away at your grass.
When the weather gets hot, you’ll notice that the patchy areas will turn brown. Their damage is easy to see. It looks like small circle patches where the lawn is driest.
The centers of the circles will be eaten away as they make their way around the lawn. You’ll see weeds replacing the location where the grass used to be.
The worms will come out at night time and you can spot them right before sunset around dusk. If you come out at night with a flashlight, you may even see them. They’re ¾ inches at max length and easy to spot with their repeating patterns on their backs.
Lawn webworms live on the root level but will come up to the surface occasionally. If you look at the grass root level, you may see these white, silky tubes that are almost weblike in appearance. These are their burrows.
Healthy grass will wilt, turn brown or yellow, and become patchy.
You may not notice it until drought occurs or after you mow your lawn.
While it likely won’t completely ruin your lawn, it can add some ugly patchy spots of dead grass.
Grass that’s already dry and “droughty” will be killed by continued webworm feeding.
Will grass grow back after sod webworm damage?
You and I both know that grass is extremely good at recovering itself. After the webworms are removed and drought season is over, grass can be reseeded for a new lawn.
If you’re trying to save your current lawn, it depends on the overall vitality of the grass and the season.
If it’s hot and humid, your grass will suffer from the heat and webworms will just make it harder on them.
If it’s nice and cool, then they have a higher chance of tolerating the lawn moth damage.
Do sod webworms eat plants?
They also are found munching on dry goods.
Yes, sod webworms are not exclusively grass feeders. They enjoy a bunch of different plants including maize, oats, rye, wheat, and others. It depends on the species.
Most will just eat the grass at the root level. Some eat at the actual grass blade. Different species eat different things.
If you notice lawn moths in your yard, but you don’t have any grass, they’re likely eating your plants. There are well over 150 species in this genus. Each one is specialized for a different type of host plant. That’s why they’re so abundant.
How did I get sod webworms?
Likely, an adult lawn moth was in the vicinity and found your grasses to be particularly attractive. So it laid eggs.
The grubs don’t leave the scene, so they feed on your lawn. When they pupate and become moths themselves, they probably will infest the same proximal foliage.
How do I know if I have sod webworms?
Sod webworm damage is easy to identify.
The larvae are the primary concern, as they account for nearly all of the damage to your grasses.
When they hatch from their egg, their only job is to eat and eat and eat. They have three instars.
The first instar (right when they hatch) is where most of the damage occurs. They feed on the foliage of the grass, but not the roots.
What are the signs of lawn grubs?
Look for these common signs of webworm damage:
Yellow or brown grass
Patchy or spotty lawns
Visible webworms in the center of the damaged area
Visible damage during drought
Visible adult moths in the area
If your lawn is well-kept, you should be able to recognize damage from lawn moths immediately. They feed during the night as they’re nocturnal pests and hide during the day.
Because they’re active at night, they’re easily seen unless you go hunting for them.
Check for sod webworms right after you mow your lawn. That’s the best time to check because all the grass is even and tidy.
If you see small brown moths flying around your lawn during sunset, this is also a key indicator.
Infestation
Did you know to be considered a “real” infestation, there are guidelines on determining this?
The rule of thumb is that you must have at least 12 visible webworm larvae in a 1.1 square foot area. Sounds pretty precise, no?
Here’s a quick experiment you can do to find out if you have webworms:
Get a shallow bowl or pan
Add a few tablespoons of dish soap to a quart of water
Pour it into the pan
Let the larvae walk into the pan
Let it sit for 10 minutes
Count the larvae caught
If you see more than 12 in the pan, then your lawn’s officially infested with sod webworms. Other standards have lower threshold population counts, such as 10 count or even 5 count.
Do lawn grubs turn into moths?
The grubs, worms, maggots, or caterpillars are all the same species.
They’re the larvae of that pesky moth. They’ll eventually morph into an adult after the winter is over. The grubs you see are the ones that damage and screw up your lawn. The moths rarely do any damage.
Only the larvae will feed on grass, plants, and other foliage when they’re young. They rarely leave the host plant and will start eating right upon hatching from their respective egg.
Are webworms invasive?
Yes, sod webworms definitely are considered invasive in the sense that they invade your lawn and destroy it.
If you value your grass, you should take action to get rid of them. They’re a nuisance that can wreck your lawn if you ignore them.
Are webworms harmful? Do they bite?
Do you know what this is? Is it a webworm?
Sod webworms don’t bite or transmit any known vectors. They’re harmless to humans, pets, and other wildlife.
However, the same can’t be said for your precious grasses!
They’ll gladly eat them up, turn them patchy or yellow, or even make it hard for your grass to grow back evenly.
Webworms are hungry and will cause severe damage during drought conditions because the damage is usually hidden from view.
When the rain comes, you’ll see the damage to your grass. They eat a variety of grasses including the beloved St. Augustine. And plants like oats, rye, and wheat.
So it’s possible that they start on your lawn and eventually get to your plants that you may care about more than your lawn.
When do sod webworms lay eggs?
Sod webworm moths will deposit eggs in peak summer (June). They mate in the spring or early summer and the first round of eggs is laid on lawns between June and July.
They hatch quickly and will start eating your grasses upon doing so. The possibility of a second generation of eggs can occur in October if the adult mate again.
When are they active?
Sod webworms are active during the night between June and September. They feed nonstop until winter comes around. Then they pupate until spring and emerge as adults.
You’ll see the brown spots patching up over time.
It starts as a small saucer, then goes to a fist shape over time. If your lawn is already browning because of drought, it’s hard to notice the damage from webworms. Larvae eat the grass right at the root level.
You may also find their poop which looks like green pellets, but they’re extremely tiny. You’ll need a magnifying glass and a careful eye to comb through your lawn.
Tip: If you have a smartphone with a decent camera, use the zoom function on it to get a good closeup view when trying to locate them.
Does cold weather kill sod webworms?
Not necessary. Sod webworms tolerate temperatures from 60F to 95F.
They prefer cooler weather and avoid the sunlight. They like high humidity with minimal sunlight. Remember how they hate the light?
This is how they’re nocturnal and not diurnal (active during the day.). If the temp dips below 60F, however, this may slow their activity and they become sluggish or burrow to hide and insulate themselves.
Does the winter kill webworms?
No, the winter doesn’t kill bagworms because they overwinter during this time.
The larvae will hide in the thatch or the soil by burrowing themselves during the cold season.
When winter is coming, they can detect it.
So they enter pupation in the soil throughout the winter.
They’re inactive during this time and will just hide until late spring when they emerge as adult moths. This is why you can’t just do nothing.
They don’t go away on their own without intervention.
How to get rid of sod webworms naturally
Look at that clean, fresh-cut lawn!
Here’s the real meat of the guide.
You’ll find a variety of DIY home remedies to naturally get rid of the lawn webworms. Depending on what works for you, you may have success easily or it may be fleeting.
Some methods will repel them, others will kill them. Some techniques trap them passively without you doing anything to catch them.
Find out what works, then scale it up. No single method will work for everyone. It depends on the severity of the webworm infestation, your local climate, neighbors, etc.
Try out multiple suggestions at the same time to save time and find a solution efficiently. Only doing one at a time is NOT efficient.
There are multiple ways to kill webworms in your grass, plants, lawn, and other foliage. Find what works for you.
If you have any questions, post a comment and let me know (as always).
Keep your lawn tidy
Keeping your lawn neat is key to preventing pests.
Not only does keeping a clean garden naturally make it less favorable for sod webworms to inhabit, but it also keeps OTHER pests away.
Think about it: Bugs coming into your yard eat, breed, and hide in the foliage. Bigger bugs come eat those smaller ones. Eventually, you have a whole ecosystem in your garden. And some stragglers will come into your house when it’s too hot or cold outside.
If your garden is a disaster, take some time to clean it up.
Sure, it’ll probably take you a weekend (or three) to do it, but once you do, it’ll pay off many times over. You’ll make it less appealing for webworms, beetles, miller moths, worms, crickets, caterpillars, maggots, etc.
Here are some quick tips on making your yard less favorite to lawn moths:
Mow your lawn regularly on a schedule (account for the change in seasons)
Remove all unnecessary plants and foliage
Clean up grass clippings immediately
Keep drainage spouts clean and tidy
Don’t overwater your plants
Prune your plants regularly
Don’t fertilize if not needed (the plant food is a bug bait)
Yes, it’s a lot. But it’ll help make your home not a prime target for bugs in the neighborhood.
Don’t have the time to clean it up? Lack the energy to do so?
Ain’t nobody got time for that?
Consider hiring a gardener to do it for you. Weigh the cost between contracting a gardener or spending your own time doing it. Or the cost of hiring a professional pest exterminator.
It just may be worth it when you calculate all of it.
Plant moth-repelling plants
Pepper can be a good plant to help repel worms.
There are some plants you can plant that naturally contain moth repellent properties.
You can use these around the perimeter of your property like a barrier that instantly deters moths when they come to find a nesting site for laying eggs. Find out which plant grows in your USDA hardiness zone and plant accordingly.
Here are some plants that are known for their mot repelling properties:
Lavender
Clothes
Peppercorns
Lemon
Eucalyptus
Mint
Thyme
Rosemary
Ginseng
Lemongrass
Nepeta
Lemon balm
Basil
Dill
Chrysanthemum
Marigold
Bee balm
With this many plants, you should be able to plant at least a few in your garden.
Find out which ones work and which ones don’t. Then scale up the ones that do.
Remember to find one that grows in your area, or else you’re just making it hard on yourself.
Trap the adult moths
You can focus on killing the adults or the larvae. There are traps you can buy that are lined with a moth bait and bring the male moths in.
They fly inside and then get stuck on the adhesive and can’t get out.
Even though it doesn’t work on female moths, killing adult males will help reduce the number of total moths in the area and egg spawn rates.
You can mount the traps on stakes in your garden or plants.
Place in strategic locations and check the interior for trap rates. If you find that a trap isn’t working well, move it to a different location.
Spray essential oils
Essential oils can also help repel moths.
The key is to find one that you can safely spray on your lawn without damaging it.
So you’ll want to test it on a single patch first to see how the grass reacts to it. If everything is good in 3 days, then you can start applying it to sections of your grass like a grid.
Essential oils need to be diluted with water. If you have a hose attachment, you can try diluting it into the compartment and then watering your lawn that way for quick application.
Every oil is different. You need to research it and how to dilute it.
Also read all warnings before using it, as some people and pets may be sensitive to it. Use as directed (common sense).
Some essential oils good for moths are the following:
Eucalyptus
Lavender
Bay oil
Peppermint
Cedar
They’re relatively cheap, and you could have some lying around the home already.
You can find them at specialty stores, apothecaries, or online. Just a single bottle will last you quite some time. If you have a large sq. ft. lawn, you should consider buying small samples to see which one works best for your lawn moths.
Bacillus thuringiensis
Bt is a nematode that works excellent for grub control. It kills upon contact through biological control and can be mixed with a variety of different substances to increase its effectiveness.
Grubs in your soil can be eliminated with Guardian nematodes in May or June. One bottle can be enough for your entire lawn because of the sheer concentration.
Bt is also safe for pets and people and is considered organic pest control. If you scour forums online, Bt is often recommended as the first line of solutions for a commercial approach.
It kills the larvae, while other compounds like pyrethrin kill the adults. Bt is generally much safer than pyrethrin, even though both are considered organic. Use as directed.
Here’s a video that shows it off:
Orange oil
Orange oil is also worth considering. You can mix orange oil and water and spray it directly on the webworms. It should kill them upon contact if they ingest it. There’s not much info on this, but some people have had success with it.
Use pyrethrin-based sprays
Pyrethrin is known to kill sod webworms within seconds upon contact.
There are many natural insecticides you can buy that include this ingredient. Look for it in the list of active ingredients to ensure that it works.
Always opt for natural or organic sprays when possible. Use as directed.
Reducing watering
Sod webworms thrive in high humidity and water, but so does your lawn.
When you water, you’re feeding both the pests and the lawn at the same time. Rely on rainwater instead of sprinklers.
If you use sprinklers, water deeply but infrequently. Reduce to 1” of water per week if you can, but consider the weather.
Do birds eat fall webworms?
Yes, those agile, sharp-eyed birds will gladly swoop down and feast on an exposed webworm. This works best when the lawn is mowed and not weedy.
Fresh cut grass is even, clean, and exposes the sod webworms to birds around the area. Depending on where you live and the native birds that are in your area, you can bait them into your yard to help control the webworms.
There are some things you can do to help encourage more birds to flock to your yard:
Set up birdbaths
Install birdhouse
Add a birdbath
Use the right type of SEED (the seed determines the types of birds that come)
Keep your plants and lawn clean (fewer plants fewer places for bugs to hide in camouflage)
Birds can be a dangerous predator for all sorts of nuisances.
Many different enemies of webworms willl gladly gobble them up.
Depending on where you live, you can look up the native predators in your area and find out how to lure more of them to your garden.
Of course, this depends on where you’re located and the natural wildlife that roams your yard. If you’re in some established metro city, you’re probably limited to just birds that eat webworms.
But if you’re out in the rural areas, everything from robber flies, wasps, beetles, birds, bats, are all potential predators.
Some eat the larvae while others eat the adult moths. Find out what predators you have and look up how to attract them.
Apply nematodes
Nematodes and bacteria microorganisms can be a very effective way to completely get rid of lawn moths.
You can buy them from specialty stores. They come in a liquid tube with specific application directions. Sometimes, you’ll dilute them and spray them directly.
Other times, you’ll sprinkle them directly from the bottle.
Whatever you choose, READ THE LABEL and FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.
The following microorganisms have been proven effective for lawn moth management:
Heterorhabditis heliothidis
Steinernema carpocapsae
Beauveria bassiana
Nosema
Bacteria and nematodes work by infecting the sod webworm larvae and preventing them from pupating, which disrupts their development. If they can’t breed, they can’t continue to infest your lawn.
Hire a licensed exterminator
When you just don’t have the knowledge, time, or expertise to fully manage your webworm infestation, consider hiring a professional to do it for you.
Do some research on local pest control companies near you and find one that looks promising. Look for real reviews, a satisfaction guarantee, and alternative green or organic compound solutions.
You don’t want to spray your entire lawn with poisonous substances which are no good for your kids or Fido.
Exterminators will use industry-strength compounds to eliminate the sod webworms and keep them away for good.
Sure, it’ll cost you money. But you need to weigh your time, energy, and cost of doing it yourself vs. hiring a pro. Is it worth it?
How do you fix sod webworm damage?
If your lawn is destroyed by webworms, the best thing to do is to start over by reseeding.
You never know if you missed a burrowed webworm hiding in the dirt, or pupating in a pupa over the winter. Tilling the soil and then reseeding the lawn will get you a fresh start.
If your lawn is already healthy, the bare spots will recover on their own over time. Supplement with grass seed or a high nitrogen plant food. If your lawn is already in bad shape, then it may be best to just start over.
What do you spray for webworms?
There are dozens of sprays you can buy on the market that can eliminate your webworm problem.
If you need to resort to chemicals to kill the pests, do so only if you think it’s worth it.
Some compounds will leave behind residues in your grass for a long time, which can be dangerous if you have pets or kids that like to play in the grass.
However, the majority of them will leave behind poisonous residues that can be harmful to you, your pets, and the environment.
If you have a dog, kids, or just like to spend time on the lawn, these dangerous compounds should be avoided. Look for a natural or organic pesticide with active ingredients that are proven to kill lawn moths.
When is the best time to spray for sod webworms?
The best time to spray for sod webworms depends on the pesticide you’re using.
Different brands have different instructions. Typically, you’ll spray in the late afternoon or early nightfall, right before the sod worms come out to feed.
This way, they ingest or contact the insecticide spray and it kills them. You would apply it when the worms are most active, which is usually peak summer to early fall.
Some are made to stop the adults from breeding by killing the larvae. Others will kill the adults. It all depends.
When used correctly, you should be able to ruin their cycle and stop a new generation from being born. Never mix compounds.
Only use one at a time. Read the label. Use as directed.
How to prevent webworms for good
Sod webworms are a seasoned pest and to say you can get rid of them permanently is a lie.
Unless you remove your lawn, plants, and anything else that they eat, then your lawn is a habitable environment for them. Even if you were to completely eradicate them from your property, all it takes is a neighbor to bring them over!
However, there are a few things you can do to make your lawn less favorable to them. It’s the same things we already discussed earlier throughout this guide. There’s nothing special about it.
It’s just keeping your garden clean. Making it less favorable to lawn moths is the only way to keep them out for good.
Utilize the various DIY home remedies outlined throughout this page:
Keep your lawn maintained
Plant moth repelling plants
Clean up grass clippings and debris
Don’t let leaf litter sit around on your lawn
Attract natural predators that eat lawn moths
Use dish soap, nematodes, bacteria, and neem oil to kill webworms
Constantly check for moth damage
With these guidelines, you can reduce the number of webworms infesting your grass. There’s no 100% surefire way to get rid of them unless you use synthetic compounds. But we want to stick with organic or natural home remedies.
If you just can’t seem to keep them out of your grasses, then hire a professional to get rid of them.
Now that you’re armed with all the knowledge to control, manage, and eradicate lawn moths from your garden, you should be a bit more confident on your journey to get rid of these pests!
For the lawn enthusiast, yes, they’re a total nightmare to deal with. But the good thing about grass is that it grows like weeds (literally), so you should be able to repair the damage once you’ve eliminated the webworms.
Do you have any specific questions? Drop a comment and let me know. If you have any tips or tricks to share with other readers, please do so as well.
If you found this guide somewhat helpful, leave a comment. Please consider telling a friend or neighbor who may get some value out of it. It helps!
Currently an active researcher in the pest control industry for the past 8 years- with a focus on using natural and organic methods to eliminate pest problems.
I share handy DIY pest techniques I come across here to help out others (and possibly save them from a mental breakdown).
