Lawn Pest Control Services in Fairhaven, MA

Lawn Pest Control That Prevents Damage 

 

Insects destroy grass from below the surface where you can't see damage until it's already done. Grubs eat roots until the grass peels up like carpet. Chinch bugs suck sap and leave dead patches. Ants build mounds. Geese leave droppings everywhere and ruin turf. By the time you notice problems, pests have already caused serious damage.

 

We've been handling lawn pest control in Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Marion, New Bedford, and Dartmouth for 35 years. The best approach is prevention. Treating for grubs in early summer before they hatch works better than fighting them in fall after they've destroyed roots. Same with other pests. Get ahead of problems instead of reacting after damage appears.

 

Properties around here deal with specific pest pressures. Grubs are the biggest problem, especially in well-watered lawns near The Bay Club in Mattapoisett. Chinch bugs hit sunny areas hard during summer. Geese take over waterfront properties and leave waste that contaminates grass and water.

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Grub Control Insecticide 

 

Grubs are C-shaped white larvae of beetles that live in soil and eat grass roots. Japanese beetles, June beetles, and chafers all produce grubs that damage lawns around here. They hatch in midsummer and feed through fall, then again briefly in spring before becoming beetles.

 

Six or more grubs per square foot means treatment is needed. Check by cutting a square foot of sod 2 to 3 inches deep, peeling it back, and counting grubs in the soil. Fewer than six usually won't cause noticeable damage unless your lawn is already stressed.

 

Preventive Insecticide in June or July stops grubs before they hatch. Products containing imidacloprid or chlorantraniliprole prevent larvae from establishing. This approach works better than curative treatment because grubs never get a chance to feed on roots.

 

Curative Insecticide in September or early spring kills actively feeding grubs. Products with carbaryl or trichlorfon work fast but only when grubs are near the surface feeding. By late May, grubs stop feeding to pupate and treatments don't work anymore.

 

All Insecticide treatments need watering in with at least half an inch of irrigation. The product has to reach soil where grubs live. Surface application without watering is wasted money.

 

Grub damage looks like brown patches that won't green up despite watering. The grass feels spongy when you walk on it and peels back easily because roots are gone. Skunks, raccoons, and crows digging at night confirm grubs are present since they're feeding on them.

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Chinch Bug Treatment 

 

Chinch bugs are tiny insects that suck sap from grass blades, causing dead patches in full sun areas. They're most active during hot, dry summer weather and target stressed lawns.

 

Damage appears as irregular dead patches that start small and expand outward. The grass turns yellow, then brown, then dies. Damage looks like drought stress but doesn't respond to watering.

 

Check for chinch bugs by parting grass at the edge of damaged areas and looking for small black bugs with white wings. They move fast when disturbed and congregate at the boundary between healthy and dead grass.

 

Insecticide timing matters because chinch bugs have multiple generations per summer. Treating in June catches the first generation before they reproduce. Follow-up treatment in August may be needed if populations persist.

 

Insecticide needs direct contact with insects since chinch bugs live deep in thatch where grass meets soil. Applications require enough water to move product down into that zone but not so much it washes through.

 

Ant Control

 

Ants build mounds in lawns that create uneven surfaces and bare spots. Fire ants bite, but even regular ants become nuisances when mounds interfere with outdoor activities.

 

Treatment targets mounds directly with products that colony members carry back to the queen. Treating individual mounds works for light infestations. Broadcast treatments handle properties with numerous colonies.

 

Timing treatment for cool morning or evening hours when ants are most active in mounds improves effectiveness. Hot midday applications when ants retreat underground miss most of the colony.
 

Geese Deterrant 

 

Geese ruin lawns by grazing heavily on grass and leaving droppings everywhere. Each goose produces nearly a pound of waste daily. This contaminates grass, creates health hazards, and damages turf from constant foot traffic.

 

We apply Flight Control to keep geese off lawns. This EPA-approved repellent makes grass unpalatable to geese through a harmless UV coating they can see and mild digestive irritation that conditions them to avoid treated areas.

 

Applications in early spring, before nesting season, work best. Geese become territorial during nesting and are harder to move once established. Reapplication after mowing or heavy rain maintains effectiveness.

 

Properties near water deal with the worst goose problems. Waterfront locations in Fairhaven and Mattapoisett see constant pressure from resident geese that no longer migrate. These birds feed on manicured lawns and nest near ponds year-round.

 

Treatment is legal and humane. Geese are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so harming them isn't allowed. Flight Control works without hurting birds while keeping them off your property.

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Other Lawn Pests

 

Moles tunnel through lawns creating raised ridges and mounds. They're feeding on grubs and other soil insects. Treating the food source often reduces mole activity, though direct mole control may be needed for serious infestations.

 

Ticks hide in tall grass and become health hazards. Regular mowing and keeping grass at proper height reduces tick habitat. Properties near wooded areas or with heavy deer traffic face higher tick pressure.

 

Armyworms occasionally damage lawns by eating grass blades. They move in large groups and can destroy turf quickly. Treatment needs to happen fast when armyworms are detected since they feed heavily and move to new areas within days.

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Treatment Timing

 

Preventive treatments go down before pests become active. Grub prevention in June or July stops larvae before they hatch. This approach prevents damage instead of fighting established populations.

 

Early season monitoring catches problems before they spread. Checking for grubs in spring and inspecting for chinch bugs in early summer identifies issues when treatment works best.

 

Fall treatments target pests that are actively feeding. Curative grub treatment in September kills larvae feeding on roots. This is reactive approach for lawns that missed preventive treatment or had breakthrough infestations.

 

Multiple applications may be needed through the season depending on pest pressure. Some years require just preventive treatment. Other years need follow-up applications to control pests that persist despite initial treatment.

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Signs of Pest Damage

 

Brown patches that don't respond to watering indicate pest problems. Drought stress improves with irrigation. Pest damage continues spreading despite adequate water.

 

Grass that peels up easily reveals root damage from grubs. Healthy turf has strong roots that resist pulling. Turf with destroyed roots lifts like poorly laid sod.

 

Spongy feeling when walking across the lawn suggests grubs have eaten enough roots that soil structure has weakened. This happens before visible browning appears.

 

Wildlife activity at night, especially skunks and raccoons digging, confirms grubs are present. These animals smell grubs underground and tear up turf to feed on them.

 

Dead patches in full sun during summer heat point to chinch bugs. These insects prefer hot, dry conditions and target stressed grass in sunny locations.

 

Visible mounds or insects confirm ant problems. Regular inspection catches ant colonies before they multiply across entire property.

 

Goose droppings everywhere and heavily grazed areas near water indicate geese are feeding regularly on your property.

 

Professional vs DIY Insecticide 

 

Store-bought products often use lower concentrations than professional formulations. This means weaker results or need for multiple applications to achieve same control professional products provide in one treatment.

 

Timing applications correctly requires understanding pest life cycles. Treating at wrong time wastes money. Professionals know when each pest is vulnerable to treatment.

 

Application technique affects results. Products need reaching target pests where they live. Grub treatments need watering in. Chinch bug treatments need penetrating thatch. Surface applications without proper technique don't work.

 

Identification mistakes lead to wrong treatments. Chinch bug damage looks like drought stress. Grub damage resembles fungal disease. Treating the wrong problem wastes time and money while actual pests continue causing damage.

 

Why Prevention Works Better

 

Preventing pests costs less than repairing the damage they cause. Grub-damaged lawns need reseeding or sodding. This costs far more than preventive treatment.

 

Established pest populations are harder to control than preventing them from establishing. Prevention stops damage before it starts.

 

Preventive treatments work during narrow windows when pests are most vulnerable. Grubs are easiest to control before they hatch. Missing this window means fighting larger, more established larvae that have already caused damage.

 

Getting Started with Lawn Pest Control & Insecticide Treatments

 

Properties throughout Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Marion, New Bedford, and Dartmouth need lawn pest control that prevents damage before it appears. Grub prevention in early summer, chinch bug treatment during hot weather, and goose control near water all protect lawns from pests that destroy grass.

 

Call 508-763-8000 or email request@newenglandtreeandlandscape.com for a free estimate.

 

35 years in business. Local crew based at 232 Huttleston Avenue in Fairhaven. Family-owned. We're the caring professionals.