Lawn & Landscape Pest Control in Auburn, Maine

Lawn pest control in Auburn is the summer fight for the green yard. The white grubs and the chinch bugs are the two main enemies of the Androscoggin valley turf. The grubs — the C-shaped larvae of the European chafer and the Japanese beetle — feed on the roots and create the brown patches that peel up like the carpet, and they bring the skunks and the moles that dig for them. The chinch bugs suck the grass dry in the summer heat and leave the straw-colored damage. The program treats the lawn, the grubs, and the digging.

The lawn pests of the valley

• The white grubs — the European chafer and the Japanese beetle larvae that eat the roots.
• The chinch bugs — the small insects that suck the moisture from the grass in the heat.
• The moles — the tunnellers that follow the grubs and the earthworms under the lawn.
• The sod webworms — the moth larvae that notch the blades and thin the turf.
• The ants — the mounds and the colonies in the dry, sunny patches.

Why the Auburn lawns attract them

• The river valley moisture — the irrigated and the naturally damp lawns favor the grubs.
• The summer heat — the hot, dry July stresses the grass and opens the door for the chinch bugs.
• The shaded corners — the damp, shaded turf holds the moisture the grubs prefer.
• The thatch layer — the built-up thatch gives the pests the cover and the food.

How the Auburn lawn program works

1. Inspection. The technician identifies the pest from the damage pattern and the soil check.
2. Grub treatment. The soil is treated at the right timing for the larvae.
3. Chinch bug treatment. The hot, dry areas are treated for the summer sucking damage.
4. Mole management. The tunnels are monitored and the grub food source is removed.
5. Seasonal program. The spring and the fall applications keep the yard protected.

Lawn pest control pricing in Auburn

Prevention for the Auburn lawn

• Water deeply and rarely — the deep, infrequent watering grows the deep roots that resist the damage.
• Keep the grass at the higher setting — the taller grass shades the soil and holds the moisture.
• Mow with the sharp blade — the clean cut resists the stress better than the ragged tear.
• Manage the thatch — the aeration breaks up the layer the pests use for the cover.
• Time the grub treatment for the late summer — the young larvae are the easy target.

The Auburn lawn call I take every August is the brown patch that the homeowner assumed was the drought. The tug test tells the truth — the turf that peels up like the carpet is the grub damage, and the birds and the skunks digging at the lawn are the confirmation. The late-summer treatment is the one that stops the larvae before they do the winter damage.

Why the grubs and the moles are one problem

The mole tunnels under the Auburn lawn are cosmetic, but they are the symptom. The mole is hunting the grubs and the earthworms, and the lawn that has the grubs will have the moles. Kill the grubs, and the food source leaves, and the moles move on to the next yard. The lawn program that treats the grubs is the lawn program that ends the mole ridges — one problem, one treatment.

If the lawn has the brown patches, the peeling turf, or the mole ridges, start with a free inspection. A licensed Auburn technician will identify the pest and quote the honest program.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Auburn lawn damage is diagnosable. If the brown patches peel up or the tunnels are crossing the yard, the free inspection will tell you whether it is the grubs, the chinch bugs, or both — start there.