The Ecosystem Under Your Feet
Your lawn isn't just grass - it's a complex ecosystem with billions of organisms living in every square foot of soil. Most of these organisms are beneficial: bacteria that break down organic matter, fungi that help roots absorb nutrients, earthworms that aerate the soil naturally.
But some organisms cause problems. Understanding which pests actually threaten your lawn (and which are just unsettling but harmless) helps you make smart treatment decisions instead of reactive ones.
The Major Lawn Pests in Michigan
Grubs (White Grubs)
What they are: Larvae of scarab beetles - primarily Japanese beetles, European chafers, and June bugs in Michigan.
Identification
- Appearance: C-shaped, cream-colored larvae with brown heads and six legs near the head
- Size: ½ to 1 inch long when mature
- Location: Found 1-3 inches below soil surface, feeding on grass roots
Life Cycle
June-July: Adult beetles emerge, mate, and lay eggs in soil
July-August: Eggs hatch into tiny grubs that begin feeding on roots
August-October: Grubs grow rapidly, causing most damage in early fall
October-November: Grubs burrow deeper (4-8 inches) to overwinter
March-April: Grubs return to root zone, feed briefly, then pupate
May-June: New adult beetles emerge, cycle repeats
How They Get There
Female beetles are attracted to:
- Moist soil (easier egg-laying)
- Healthy turf (more roots for larvae to eat)
- Irrigated lawns (consistent moisture)
Beetles can fly several miles to find suitable egg-laying sites. Your neighbor's infestation can easily become yours.
Environmental Conditions They Prefer
- Soil moisture: Eggs and young grubs need moisture to survive; dry conditions kill them
- Soil temperature: Active feeding occurs when soil is 60-80°F
- Turf health: Ironically, healthy lawns with dense root systems attract more egg-laying
Damage Symptoms
Early signs:
- Irregular brown patches that don't respond to watering
- Grass feels spongy underfoot
- Increased animal activity (skunks, raccoons digging for grubs)
Severe infestation:
- Turf pulls up like carpet (roots severed)
- Large dead areas
- Birds (especially starlings) feeding heavily on lawn
Threat Level
To lawn: High when populations exceed threshold (typically 10+ grubs per square foot)
To humans/pets: None directly, but animal digging causes secondary damage
Treatment Timing
Preventive: June-July (kills young grubs before damage occurs)
Curative: August-September (when grubs are actively feeding near surface)
Ineffective: October-April (grubs too deep or inactive)
Ticks
What they are: Blood-feeding arachnids (not insects) that transmit serious diseases.
Common Species in Michigan
Blacklegged tick (deer tick): Primary vector for Lyme disease
American dog tick: Transmits Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Lone star tick: Increasingly common, moving north into Michigan
Identification
- Appearance: Flat, oval body; 8 legs (they're arachnids, not insects)
- Size: Unfed adults are 3-5mm (sesame seed size); engorged females can reach 10mm
- Color: Varies by species - brown, reddish-brown, or black
Life Cycle
Ticks have a 2-year life cycle with four stages: egg, larva, nymph, adult. They need a blood meal to advance to each stage.
Spring-Summer: Nymphs are most active (and most dangerous - small size makes them hard to detect)
Fall: Adults become active, seeking hosts for overwintering blood meal
Winter: Adults survive in leaf litter; larvae and nymphs die or go dormant
How They Get There
Ticks don't jump or fly - they quest: climbing to the tips of grass blades or shrubs and waiting with front legs extended for a passing host.
They arrive via:
- Deer passing through your property
- Rodents (mice are primary hosts for immature ticks)
- Birds
- Pets that pick them up elsewhere
- You (after hiking in wooded areas)
Environmental Conditions They Prefer
- Moisture: High humidity is essential; ticks desiccate in dry conditions
- Shade: Wooded edges, tall grass, leaf litter
- Hosts: Properties with deer traffic have higher tick populations
- Temperature: Active when temps exceed 40°F
Damage Symptoms
Ticks don't damage grass - their threat is entirely to humans and animals.
Threat Level
To lawn: None
To humans/pets: Serious. Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome (from lone star ticks) are all transmitted by ticks in Michigan.
Risk Reduction
- Keep grass mowed (reduces humidity at ground level)
- Remove leaf litter and brush piles
- Create wood chip or gravel barriers between lawn and wooded areas
- Reduce deer access with fencing
- Targeted perimeter treatments during peak season
Fleas
What they are: Small, flightless, blood-feeding insects that primarily affect pets but can bite humans.
Identification
- Appearance: Tiny, dark brown, laterally flattened (thin side-to-side)
- Size: 1-3mm - difficult to see clearly without magnification
- Behavior: Jump extraordinarily well (up to 150x their body length)
Life Cycle
Eggs: Laid on host animals, fall off into environment (carpet, lawn, bedding)
Larvae: Hatch in 2-12 days, live in soil/carpet feeding on organic debris
Pupae: Can remain dormant for months waiting for a host (vibration, CO2, warmth trigger emergence)
Adults: Live on host animals, laying 40-50 eggs per day
How They Get There
- Wildlife passing through (raccoons, opossums, feral cats, rabbits)
- Neighbor's pets
- Your own pets picking them up elsewhere
- Previous property owners' pets
One pregnant flea can start an infestation that produces thousands of offspring.
Environmental Conditions They Prefer
- Shade: Fleas avoid direct sunlight; shaded, moist areas harbor higher populations
- Moisture: High humidity supports egg and larval survival
- Hosts: Any warm-blooded animal
- Organic debris: Larvae feed on organic matter in soil
Damage Symptoms
Fleas don't damage grass. Signs include:
- Pets scratching excessively
- Flea dirt (dark specks) on pet bedding
- Bites on human ankles and lower legs
- Visible fleas jumping on pets or furniture
Threat Level
To lawn: None
To pets: Significant - severe infestations cause anemia, transmit tapeworms, cause allergic dermatitis
To humans: Annoying bites; rare disease transmission in U.S.
Control Strategy
Lawn treatment alone won't solve flea problems - you must treat:
- All pets (veterinary products)
- Indoor environments (carpet, bedding, furniture)
- Outdoor areas (shaded zones where pets rest)
Treating only the lawn while ignoring the other two is ineffective.
Chinch Bugs
What they are: Small, sap-sucking insects that inject toxins while feeding, killing grass.
Identification
- Adults: 1/6 inch long, black body with white wings folded flat
- Nymphs: Bright red with white band across back (younger); darker as they mature
- Location: Base of grass plants, in thatch layer
Life Cycle
Spring: Overwintering adults emerge when temperatures reach 70°F
Late spring: Adults mate, females lay eggs in thatch and soil
Summer: Nymphs hatch, feed, mature through 5 stages
Fall: Adults seek overwintering sites in thatch, grass clumps, leaf litter
Generations: 2-3 per year in Michigan
How They Get There
Chinch bugs:
- Fly to new locations (adults have functional wings)
- Are attracted to sunny, drought-stressed lawns
- Build up in hot, dry conditions
- Spread from neighboring properties
Environmental Conditions They Prefer
- Heat: Thrive in temperatures above 80°F
- Drought: Dry conditions favor population explosions
- Sun: Full-sun areas are most affected
- Thatch: Heavy thatch provides habitat and protection
- Grass type: Prefer Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass
Damage Symptoms
Early signs:
- Irregular yellow patches in sunny areas
- Damage often starts along driveways, sidewalks (heat reflected)
- Grass doesn't recover with watering
Severe infestation:
- Large dead areas that look drought-stressed
- Visible chinch bugs when you part grass at damage edge
- Strong, distinctive odor when populations are high
The Flotation Test
To confirm chinch bugs:
- Cut both ends off a coffee can
- Press one end 2-3 inches into soil at edge of damaged area
- Fill with water
- Wait 10 minutes
- Chinch bugs float to surface if present
Threat Level
To lawn: High in hot, dry summers; can kill large areas quickly
To humans/pets: None
Prevention
- Proper watering during drought stress
- Avoid excessive nitrogen (creates succulent tissue they prefer)
- Reduce thatch through regular aeration
- Maintain healthy, stress-resistant turf
Sod Webworms
What they are: Larvae of lawn moths that feed on grass blades at night.
Identification
- Larvae: ½ to 1 inch long, tan/gray/greenish with spots, dark head
- Adults: Small tan or gray moths that fly in zigzag pattern at dusk
- Webbing: Create silk-lined tunnels in thatch (hence the name)
Life Cycle
Spring: Overwintering larvae resume feeding
Late spring: Larvae pupate, adults emerge
Summer: Adults lay eggs on grass blades; larvae hatch and feed
Generations: 2-3 per summer in Michigan
How They Get There
- Adult moths fly in from surrounding areas
- Attracted to lights at night
- Lay eggs on any suitable turf
Environmental Conditions They Prefer
- Heat: Damage worst during hot, dry weather
- Drought stress: Weakened turf is more susceptible
- Thatch: Larvae live in thatch layer
- Night: Feed only after dark
Damage Symptoms
- Grass blades chewed off at soil level
- Small brown patches that expand
- Increased bird activity (feeding on larvae)
- Visible moths flying up when you walk across lawn at dusk
- Green fecal pellets in thatch
Threat Level
To lawn: Moderate; rarely kills grass outright but causes thinning and brown patches
To humans/pets: None
Armyworms and Cutworms
What they are: Caterpillars of various moth species that feed on grass blades (armyworms) or cut plants at soil level (cutworms).
Identification
- Armyworms: 1-2 inches long, green/brown with stripes, travel in groups
- Cutworms: 1-2 inches, curl into C-shape when disturbed, gray/brown, feed at night
Damage Pattern
Armyworms: March across lawns in large numbers, consuming everything in their path. Damage appears suddenly and spreads quickly.
Cutworms: Cut individual plants at ground level. Damage appears as scattered dead spots.
Threat Level
To lawn: Can be severe during outbreak years, but populations fluctuate wildly
To humans/pets: None
Key Difference from Grubs
Armyworms and cutworms feed on blades, not roots. Damaged turf doesn't pull up like carpet. Recovery is typically faster because the root system remains intact.
When Treatment Makes Sense
Not every pest sighting requires treatment. Here's how to decide:
Treat When:
- Grubs: Population exceeds 10 per square foot AND you see damage symptoms
- Ticks: You have family members or pets at risk AND property borders wooded areas
- Fleas: Active infestation confirmed (treat pets and environment simultaneously)
- Chinch bugs: Confirmed via flotation test AND damage is spreading
- Surface feeders: Visible damage AND confirmed pest identification
Don't Treat When:
- You found one grub while gardening (a few grubs are normal)
- No actual damage is occurring
- Pest hasn't been positively identified
- You're treating "just in case" (prophylactic treatment creates resistance)
Preventive vs. Curative
Preventive treatment (before damage occurs) makes sense for:
- Grubs in lawns with history of infestation
- Ticks on properties with known exposure risk
- Fleas for outdoor pets in endemic areas
Curative treatment (after damage begins) works for:
- Most surface-feeding insects
- Active infestations that are confirmed
The Role of Lawn Health
Healthy lawns recover from pest damage faster and resist infestation better:
Aeration reduces pest pressure by:
- Reducing thatch (habitat for chinch bugs, sod webworms, flea larvae)
- Improving root depth (grass survives grub feeding longer)
- Increasing overall turf vigor
Proper fertilization helps by:
- Building dense turf that outcompetes damage
- Avoiding excess nitrogen (which attracts some pests)
- Promoting recovery after pest events
Correct watering matters because:
- Drought stress makes turf vulnerable to chinch bugs
- Excessive irrigation attracts beetle egg-laying
- Consistent moisture supports natural recovery
The Bottom Line
Most lawns have pests. The question isn't whether they're present - it's whether they're causing damage that justifies treatment.
Know what you're dealing with before you treat. Identify the pest, confirm it's at damaging levels, and choose the right approach for that specific problem. Blanket pesticide applications kill beneficial organisms along with pests and can create resistant populations.
And remember: a healthy, well-maintained lawn is your best defense. Pests exploit weakness. Build a lawn that can tolerate some pressure without collapsing.
At Orchard Lawn Solutions, we offer targeted pest control for grubs, ticks, and fleas - the pests that pose real threats to your lawn and family. We don't push unnecessary treatments. We identify the problem, confirm it warrants action, and apply the right product at the right time. Combined with our aeration and fertilization services, we build lawns that resist pest damage naturally.