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Over the last two weeks, Mower Source took a look at some of the most common lawn pests you can encounter in your beautifully-kept yard. And now, in the last part of this three-part series, we’ll cover the last bastion of invaders you might encounter in your grass. Pull on your gardening gloves and whip out that can of bug-be-gone — we’re going to get rid of the last of them.


"Mycetozoa Protozo" by Martin Ammentorp - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mycetozoa_Protozo.jpg#/media/File:Mycetozoa_Protozo.jpg

Slime Mold: Not Quite Alive, Not Quite Dead

If you’ve encountered slime mold on your lawn, then you know how much it thrives in that gray zone between life and death. It’s a fungus that attaches itself to your lawn, but in a nice twist, it doesn’t actually damage your lawn! It just looks really and obviously ugly, and tends to attack in late summer/early fall.

How to get rid of it: Unfortunately, there’s no cure to slime mold, but it’s pretty easy to get rid of it. All you have to do is stay on of aeration, and use a high-powered water spray to literally blast it off your lawn.

Snow Mold: The Post-Cold Weather Hangover

This one’s pretty similar to slime mold, but takes place after the cold weather and snow have lifted. You’ll see it in the early spring (and sometimes even in the fall) when your grass has thawed and come back to life, and it appears as a bunch of brown-y or yellow-y patches. Sometimes, it also takes the appearance of having a layer of fuzzyish white and/or pink that looks like cobwebs.

How to get rid of it: You’ll have to act quickly because it grows fast and hard and can very easily take over your lawn. And to do so, your best bet is scarification. Following that is decreasing your nitrogen levels of feed after the summer so you’re not giving an extra food boost for the snow mold to feed on.

Crane fly

Crane Fly: Lawn Pests Found Worldwide

They look sort of like an oversized mosquito, and are just as annoying. Their wingspan can be as small as about half an inch and as big as about three inches and you can spot them by their distinctive V-shaped suture on their midbody. In terms of damage, look for patches of dead grass on your lawn with piles of larva feeding at the base of grass blades.

How to get rid of them: Solutions are pretty simple and easy to carry out. The first step is to clear your lawn of thatch, and then prevent future infestations by easing up on watering. And to ensure that water drains properly, make sure your lawn is well-aerated and has some place to go.

"Ceratophyllus gallinae male ZSM" by Katja ZSM - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ceratophyllus_gallinae_male_ZSM.jpg#/media/File:Ceratophyllus_gallinae_male_ZSM.jpg

Fleas: Unwelcome Houseguests

Anyone who’s ever had a pet dog knows that fleas, unlike vampires, don’t need an invitation to come in and cause serious trouble. And once they’re there, it can feel like they’ve reproduced way too quickly and taken over your entire life. If you find fleas on your lawn — which distinguish themselves by black droppings on your dog’s coat, or the cocoons they’ve spun on your grass — then act quickly: they can lay up to 50 eggs a day, and it’s so easy for them to get into your house.

How to get rid of them: There are products made specifically for flea control, so invest in one that’s safe and healthy for your lawn. You’ll also want to ensure your house, belongings and pets are okay, so:

  • Wash all linens, bedding and anything else that could house fleas by using really hot water
  • Shampoo your dog with special flea shampoo
  • Create a border between your house and yard by spraying with flea control in a perimeter
  • Vacuum (not just sweep or mop) all surfaces in your home to suck the bugs away
  • Mower Source likes to specialize in a whole bunch of different areas, ranging from giving you valuable tips on keeping your yard beautiful and green to providing all the best tools and accessories you need for the job. However, to become a yard star, you should definitely take a look at our gear first — and then enjoy free shipping and tax-free prices (except in MN) on everything you buy!

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