What Does it Mean if Your Lawn has Moths?

June 20th, 2016

Owning and maintaining a home is no small task, especially when it comes to the lawn. It has become a common misconception that lawns with moths automatically have active worms, but this is very far from the truth. Here is what you really need to know about those moths on your lawn.

The Basics

Summer weather places a great deal of stress on residential lawns as the grass tries to stay alive in the midst of intense heat, heavy rain, or even drought. During the summer season, small tan moths become a common sight around many lawns. They flutter around and don’t cause any harm, but they alarm many homeowners nonetheless. The truth is, the presence of moths in or on a lawn is nothing more than an indicator of just that- the presence of moths! So when should you become concerned?

When Moths Become Dangerous

There are over 20 types of moths, three of which lay eggs. These eggs take two weeks to develop into worms that damage turf lawns. If you find those eggs anywhere in your yard, chances are you have two weeks to seek professional lawn care help before worms begin wreaking havoc around your lawn. The moths and eggs themselves can’t be killed, so action can only be taken once it is believed that the worms have developed and are ready to cause trouble.  

Why Are the Worms so Harmful?

The webworms that are hatched from moth eggs feed on grass blades. They begin with nibbles and quickly progress to eating large patches of grass. If a lawn was very healthy before the presence of webworms, it’s much easier for the grass to recover and grow back to normal. However, grass that was already suffering tends to show more signs of damage by looking spotty and too short.

At the end of the day, if you see moths, don’t panic. Keep an eye open for eggs and call your favorite local pest control company if you think you might have a population of webworms joining you in a few weeks.