Azaleas are a popular landscaping plant due to their ease of care and their beauty, but for all their ease, they are not without a few common pest problems. One of those is the azalea lace bug, which is a common Gainesville lawn pest that we see.

These azalea insects can cause significant damage to a plant if not controlled. Lace bug damage to azaleas tends to be cosmetic, but they can ruin the look of a healthy azalea very quickly. Identifying Azalea Lace Bug Damage Lace bug damage to azaleas normally occurs on the leaves and will look like silvery, white or yellow spots that make the plant look faded and losing vigor. This is caused by these lace bugs literally sucking small sections of the leaf dry and killing that section of the plant. As these azalea leaf pests move on across the leaf, more and spots will appear causing the greyish coloring.

You will also know if you have these common lawn pests by looking at the underside of the Azalea's leaves, where the lace bug tends to reside. If you see a sticky black substance or a rust color, this is another sign that you have these azalea insects. You may even find the azalea lace bug on the leaves. The lace bug can be identified by their “lace” like wings, but commonly you will just see small spots which are the juveniles.

The azalea lace bug prefers both our larger and dwarf azaleas in north Florida, but can also attack the deciduous varieties as well.

How to Get Rid of Azalea Lace Bug

These azalea insect problems are best avoided in the first place by pre-emptive control. The azalea lace bug tends to attack plants that are already weakened due to poor fertilizing or watering, so make sure to take proper care of your plants with an Ornamental Fertilization Program. If your azalea shrub is already infested with these azalea leaf pests, you can try this method for getting rid of them. Lace Bug Pest control involves using insecticidal soaps (some of which are organic) and most off the shelf insecticides will effectively kill azalea lace bugs.

Lace bug damage to azaleas does not have to be devastating to your Gainesville yard. With a little know-how, these landscape insect problems can be dealt prevented and eliminated. Contact our team at (352) 378-5296 or the contact form above if we can help in any way!

During the cooler winter months in Gainesville, St Augustine and Zoysia turf grass lawns are dormant – which means basically resting for the upcoming spring season. The soil microbes are still busy too, doing what soil microbes do – composting – just at a slower pace than normal.

Many are fooled into thinking the soil and grass doesn’t need fertilizer application and water in the winter just – the St Augustine turf and the soil microbes are living, growing and need food and water to stay healthy. Without an active and healthy soil microbe population in winter, the turf grass will lag in the spring, losing valuable time during it's prime growing season.

5 THINGS TO DO IN THE WINTER FOR ST AUGUSTINE LAWNS

1. Water Your Lawn Correctly
2. Apply Lawn Nutrients
3. Mow as High as the Mower will Go
4. Weed Control
5. Be Patient
Master these five activities during the winter and you’ll be rewarded with a healthy lawn this spring and well into the summer months.

WATER YOUR LAWN CORRECTLY

One persistent myth is that St Augustine needs less water in the winter. This is false. Although the St Augustine turf is semi-dormant, it is still living and growing and needs food and water to do so. The soil is teeming with soil microbes that need a moist soil to compost organic matter into plant food. Let the lawn dry out and you kill the soil microbes, starve the turf and turn your lawn into a weed patch.

So remember, the number one determining factor for the health of your St Augustine turf and soil microbes is water – and about 90% of the water your lawn requires will come from irrigation. Therefore, the irrigation system must run, cover the entire lawn and put out enough water to “fill” the soil. If it doesn’t – then fix and repair your Gainesville sprinkler system until it does. 

How Much Water?

Your lawn needs just as much water in winter as the rest of the year. It just doesn't evaporate as fast as it does in warm seasons - so that allows your sprinklers to run less often to achieve the same amount of water in the soil. On average we recommend watering 1 time per week – even in the winter. However, we do not recommened cutting back your zone run times. Turn it back to 2x a week in late February/early March when it begins to get warmer.

FEED YOUR GAINESVILLE GRASS

The main goal of feeding a lawn is not feeding the turf, it is for feeding the soil microbes so that they can compost. Nitrogen, potassium, sulphur, and iron are not readily available in our sandy soils and need to be replenished on a regular basis. – even in the winter.

The Master's winter feeding program focuses on potassium and micronutrients - especially sulfur and iron – to help the roots strengthen as the lawn is dormant. One good lawn application of a fertilizer with a good micronutrient package is sufficient until spring.

MOW AS HIGH AS THE MOWER WILL GO

Winter is not the time to mow low – mowing low does more harm than good in the winter. When you mow low it opens up the canopy, exposing the soil and tender roots and stems to drying sun and winter winds. A dry soil and sun parched stems and roots does not make for a healthy lawn. These winter months are a perfect time to skip a few mowings, allowing the canopy to become even higher and reduce wear and tear. The taller truf also shades the soil to keep winter weeds from germinating in your lawn.

WEED CONTROL IS EFFECTIVE AND SAFER

Winter is the best time for weed control. Focus on the persistent perennial weeds like Dollar Weed, sedges and Day Flower. There are other annual weeds that pop up - but they will melt away with the rising temperatures - so focus on the perennials. I highly suggest a quality pre-emergent weed control program to help play defense against the incoming spring/summer weeds, too.

Be careful with the Weed-N-Feed formulations at the big box stores, as they may have high nitrogen content which could cause a lawn damage in cold temperatures. Read the label and carefully look up information. We get calls from about 1 person a month who has burned their lawn from trying to use Home Depot or Lowe's products and mixed them the wrong way or at the incorrect time, so be sure to use a trusted weed control program.

BE PATIENT

This dormant period is natural and very important for the health of the turf – let it do its thing. Pushing the St Augustine turf grass out of dormancy with excess nitrogen will create a false signal to the turf that spring has sprung and cause havoc with your lawn. Don't be tempted to make the lawn green with a parlor trick of high nitrogen fertilizer. Be wise, be patient and let the grass progress from dormant to spring in a healthy way.

WORD ABOUT LAWN SPRAYING

The Master's Lawn Spraying combines year round lawn fertilizations with insect and weed control so you don’t have to experiment with different brands and formulations. We know what to do and when to do it – that is what makes lawn spraying such a good service at a good price. If you are overwhelmed by the massive amount of choices for fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides, you may want to consider hiring a professional. Fill out the contact form at the top of the page or give us a call at (352) 378-LAWN (378-5296). 

I've been getting a lot of people asking me what can be done about all the dove weed, nutsedge, and other weeds they're seeing in their lawn this fall.

The good news is most are summer weeds that will go away soon. The heavy rains from an active storm season made weeds especially prevalent this past year. The bad news is these Gainesville lawn weeds have already left their seeds in the lawn which means they will be back again next year unless something is done over the next few months to prevent them from germinating.

That's why at The Master's, our annual fertilization and weed control program includes fall and winter visits. These are some of the most important visits we make all year, because we are applying preventatives that will keep those seeds from turning into weeds next year.

On these visits we apply a pre-emergent that prevents winter weeds from coming up along with a post-emergent for any broad-leaf weeds that have already sprouted. In late winter, around February and March, we apply a different type of pre-emergent to prevent spring weeds, such as henbit or poa-annual from growing.

All of this means when the lawn comes out of dormancy next April, it won't have to compete with a bunch of weeds and will fill in much more quickly.

Does this prevent all of the weeds? Unfortunately not. There are three types of weeds: annuals (those that come back from seeds each year), biennial (those that have a two-year life cycle) and perennial (those that come back from their roots every year).

Pre-emergents only work on seeds so they are only effective annuals.  The other two, biennials such as dandelions or perennials, such as dallisgrass can't be prevented and must be controlled after they have sprouted from their roots.

Preventing the annuals from growing is a great start though and allows us to focus on just the other two types.

I'm often told that some of the gardeners on the radio say a pre-emergent can only be applied in September and ask if our preventative will work when we apply it later.

They are right, what is available at nurseries is only effective during certain times of the year but what we applies is much different. It is more effective than what is available at stores and is applied later in the season.

Another big factor in the success of our winter weed control depends on watering. We apply our pre-emergent in big droplets which makes it fall to the ground instead of misting and blowing around. Once the drops hit the ground they stay on top of the soil. The pre-emergent only starts working when you water the lawn. The water spreads the droplets out evenly across the ground and pushes it down in the soil where the seeds are waiting to come out. Without watering, it sits on top of the soil for a couple of weeks and then eventually disappears which doesn't do any good.

So what does all of this mean to you and your lawn? Having a great lawn next year starts with how you treat your lawn this fall and winter.

As always, if you have a question regarding your Gainesville, Fl lawn weed control give us call at 352.378.5296 or email us at info@themasterslawncare.com. I love to answer your questions and often turn them into Quick Tips to help teach our customers about all things related to lawn and landscaping!

When it comes to fall lawn fertilization in Gainesville, one size does not fit all. Lawn fertilizer programs and mixes that benefit St. Augustine lawns are wasteful and may even harm Zoysia lawns, even if they're next door neighbors. Also, soils in different areas of town may differ in terms of soil pH and plant-available nutrients such as sand and clay do, which is why we always do a soil analysis through UF's IFAS department here in Gainesville to assure our lawn spraying program is the right mixture for your soil and lawn. 

For our Gainesville DIY'ers, 5 quick tips for your lawn are:

1. Don't guess which fertilizer is best.

Read the label and know your lawn. If you don’t know what’s in the soil or the turfgrass you have, how can you accurately prescribe a fertilizer program that’s most beneficial? When in doubt rely on soil tests to show you the way, especially for new or struggling properties coming under your care. Personnel at the Alachua county extension office can help you with turfgrass identification and soil tests. Their services are very reasonable, and they can also help you read the report, too. 

2. Now’s the time to fertilize for Gainesville Lawns. 

Gainesville grass is recovering from July and August’s high temperatures and it’s beginning to store carbohydrate reserves, which help it to resist winter injury and disease, and serve as a source of energy for root and shoot growth the following spring. Many professional Gainesville lawn application companies like us offer two late-season fertilizations. They apply one pound of quick-release nitrogen in late summer and another application of Nitrogen in late October or November. The mid- to late-fall application delivers better winter color, enhances spring green-up, and increases root development.

Research at the University of Florida has shown that root growth of turfgrass species occurs during the fall after shoot growth has slowed down substantially. This is because roots grow quite well when soil temperatures are cooling off from our brutal summers. 

3. Look before you treat.

Heed the following caveats when making fall applications of fertilizers. If the turfgrass is obviously not growing and likely dead, don’t waste your fall fertilizer. It’s not going to bring the grass back to health. Install plugs or new sod instead.

Also, don’t apply fertilizer without watering them in or making sure rain is in the forecast because you will be wasting money. While most fertilizers require water to infiltrate the soil, a heavy rain can wash away the fertilizer before it enters the soil, so make sure it isn't a downpour. Don't fertilize to close to water sources or storm drains. Fertilizer will find its way into the water adding nitrogen and potassium to Florida's liquid ecosystem. This can lead to algae blooms and have other negative affects.

4. Fertilize only during growth.

Warm-season grasses such as St. Augustine, bermudagrass, and zoysiagrass are throughout Gainesville.

St. Augustine grass is the most common lawn grass in our region. It is popular because it is durable and recovers rapidly with proper care. Fertilize when it is actively growing, but do not apply nitrogen in December, January, or February.

Zoysiagrass grows by both stolons and rhizomes. It goes dormant with the first frost. Do not apply nitrogen to zoysiagrass after the end of November, advises our local cooperative extension. By contrast, zoysias.com says that while fertilizer requirements are generally lower for zoysia than many other lawn kinds of grass, they do benefit from a fall application as well. 

5. Timing always matters

Fertilization in the Spring, Summer, and Fall are very important - but having the right lawn application at the right time is what makes the difference. Pre-emergent weed controls, preventative insecticides, and proper nutrients all have to be applied with the proper timing to avoid a waste of your time, money, and resources.

Finally, Florida law prohibits applying more than one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet for any application. Follow the rules.

As always, The Master's Lawn Care is proud to serve Gainesville, Alachua, and Newberry with our Lawn Application and Pest Control Program. Please call or text our office at (352) 378-LAWN for a free lawn consultation. 

The major insect pest of crape myrtles in Gainesville Florida landscapes are crape myrtle aphids. Crape myrtle aphids secrete sticky honeydew from mid-summer on through winter, which sooty mold grows in the honeydew.

Crapemyrtle Aphids are Gainesville Lawn Pests that have a narrow host range and is the only aphid species that feed on crape myrtles. Crape myrtle aphids are found from May through September, with peak populations during July and early August. Crape myrtle aphid adults and nymphs are pale yellow-green with black spots on their abdomens. They range from 1/16- to 1/8-inch in length. These aphids generally feed on the undersides of crape myrtle leaves. They feed by inserting their needle-like mouthparts into the soft tissues and extracting plant sap. As aphids feed, they inject saliva into the leaf tissues, which, in turn, causes yellow leaf spots to develop. Heavy infestations can deform leaves and stunt new growth. Buds, branch tips and flowers can also be damaged by the feeding injury.

In addition to direct damage, aphids can damage plants indirectly by secreting honeydew, a sugary bi-product of their feeding. Honeydew is a perfect substrate for the growth of sooty mold fungi and a source of food for other insects such as ladybugs, ants, wasps, and flies. Although unsightly, sooty mold itself does not directly harm the crape myrtle. Instead, it shades the leaves and interferes with photosynthesis. Under heavy infestations, sooty-mold-covered leaves may drop many weeks prematurely. Even the twigs and stems of the plants may be coated in the black sooty mold. That becomes more evident as the plants defoliate.

When we have extreme weather in Florida, we usually find that a few things really like the conditions.  This summer it has been the moths and the 'Tropical Sod Webworm,' which just love the wet yards we've had.

It has been so prolific that our phones have rung with people asking what they are and how to they get rid of them.  Perhaps you've seen some fluttering around in your lawn?

How are moths and webworms connected might you ask? Great question! Much like a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, the webworm turns into a moth, and the webworm is what does so much damage to Gainesville lawns. 

How do webworms create the brown spots in the lawn? They chew the grass down to the roots as it's primary source of food, causing a similar effect on the lawn as if it were scalped with a weedeater or lawn mower. 

The chewed or affected areas typically look like brown circular spots in the lawn that are much shorter than the other parts of the yard, and they typically grow overnight, because that's when the webworms are most active. The round pattern comes from the moth's eggs being laid in one place and the webworms eating out from that initial hatching.

Webworms are known for attacking new sod (hence the name 'tropical sod webworm') due to their high levels of nitrogen in the turf from the sod farms using large amounts of fertilizer. They're also known for attacking shaded areas of lawns due to the moths residing in the trees above the lawn and lving the wet areas to lay their eggs.

What can you do to avoid webworms damaging your lawn?

1. Don't set it and forget it - Sometimes modern conveniences like sprinker systems allow us so much peace of mind that they make us think we can eliminte the worry of watering our lawn altogether. However, that really shouldn't be the case. When we experience extreme droughts as we did in March, April, and May of this year, not increasing your sprinkler times to compensate for the higher evaporation (dry air) and lack of rain will cause your lawn to suffer.  Similarly,  when the rainy season comes as we've experieced in June and July, we have to turn the sprinkler settings way down for the opposite reasons, even if you have a rain sensor. Stressing your lawn with too much or not enough water makes it more susceptible to lawn pests and quicker damage. Sod Webworms are very attracted to overly watered lawns, where the grass is weakened for their dining pleaseure.
2. Don't over-fertilize  - The reason that Sod webworms are attracted to new sod is because of the amount of fertilizer sod farms use. This is also the case if you use excess fertilizer to attain a "greener" lawn. More often than not, you will instead find yourself with fungal or webworm infestation damaging your lawn. There's nothing wrong with a lawn fertilization plan - as long as whoever you have doing it understands the need to apply the fertilizer correctly and time it for the right seasonal window to avoid lawn pest encouragement.
3. An Ounce of Prevention - is worth a pound of cure, according to Ben Franklin. It is also true for your lawn. If you're on our Gainesville lawncare pest program, we use a product that basically immunizes your lawn from webworms, as long as it's watered correctly. As I type this, my lawn is completely infiltrated with moths (my neighbor has a ton of webworm damage) but my lawn is protected because one of our experienced lawn care technicians treated it prior to the moths coming into our neighborhood. 

If you do these three things, you can keep your lawn pest-free. If you may have messed up one of the three items above and wonder if you have a webworm problem in your lawn, here are some photos to help you be sure. 

The photo above shows grey leaf spot fungus (from over-watering and common when webworms are active) and the webworms' chewed up grass pellets. Also notice the chewed lower edges of the leaf blades.

The photo above shows a sod webworm feeding on a Gainesville lawn (which gives him the translucent green color)

This photo shows an even closer photo of the webworm in the Gainesville lawn with the remnants of his feeding surrounding him (the green pellets of chewed up grass) 

Have you noticed your lawn turning brown? or noticed moths fluttering through your lawn? Those are warning signs that the Tropical Sod Webworm is about to feast on your grass.

If you think your Gainesville lawn has pest concerns, please don't hesitate to call or text us at (352) 378-5296 or fill out our online request form.  We want to help in any way we can. Below is a video to help you know if you have webworms attacking your Gainesville lawn.

Other Recent Posts of Interest:

• YouTube: Are Sod Webworms in my lawn?
• YouTube: Are chinch bugs damaging my lawn?
• How to get rid of Fire Ants in your Gainesville Lawn

Moths are the parents of a Gainesville lawn pest known as the Tropical Sod Webworm. Do you know how caterpillars go into a cocoon and transform into butterflies? Sod webworms do the same thing, except they become moths. 

Webworms eat the tops of St. Augustine and Zoysia grass down to the tougher stolon, which causes a scalped look, typically in wet areas of the lawn. They also leave behind green pellets, which are the remnants of the lawn after the webworm has digested it.

Here are some quick notes about webworm damage in lawns:

• Moths are typically noticed fluttering in the early morning dew of the lawn when you walk through it.
• They are typically swarming when the heavy rains of summer/fall begin, which in Gainesville is anywhere between late June and October. 
• The webworms are translucent green, and about 1/2" long. They're easily located in the morning dew, but they stay in the thatch during the heat of the day. 
• They're very difficult to treat DIY because most hand or backpack sprayers don't have enough pressure to penetrate the thatch or cocoons.
• Commercial lawn pest technicians (like The Master's Lawn Care) can use more pressure and preventative products that aren't available at home improvement stores. 

If you need help controlling Gainesville lawn pests that are killing your yard, please give us a call or text (352) 378-5296.

Today's Quick Tip on Gainesville lawns is about Chinch bug damage, and how to decipher it from drought stress, webworm damage, fungus, or other common yard issues. There are three main things to look for:

1. Where is the damage? Typically, chinch bugs attack Gainesville yards close to concrete, asphalt, and in areas that are in full sun. 
2. What do the damaged areas look like? When chinch bugs attack lawns in Gainesville, they leave a clear trail. The dead grass looks dark brown (compared to a the typical greyish color of dead grass) and is typically very patchy. Also, weeds typically thrive because chinch bugs do not damage weeds - just the grass.
3. Is there a yellow ring? To be clear, there can also be a yellow ring around fungus, too. However, chinch bugs and fungus attack very different St. Augustine grass. Chinch bugs attck drought-stressed grass, so the yellowed turf would be in typically dry soil (which is why they love the full sun areasof your lawn). Fungus typically leaves yellowing grass in very wet areas of the lawn, from too much water (irrigation or rain) sitting on the lawn.

If you would like help protecting the health of your lawn, please call our office at (352) 378-LAWN. We would love to help.

When and where is this lawn pest the most prevalent?

Although native to South America, they are very prevalent in Gainesville lawns throughout the year. They typically become bothersome in spring and summer due to more lawn-related activities - but they are active year round.

How can I identify this as the problem in my lawn or landscape?

Fire ants are very different from crazy ants, in that they are typically reddish-colored, and swarm. Crazy ants can be seen running aimlessly in circles, which is where they derive the 'crazy ant' name.  

How do they occur and how can I prevent it?

Fire ants naturally arrive in most all Gainesville lawns. Prevention is only offerent by a licensed lawn pest prevention service, like The Master's Lawn Care. 

What can I do to resolve the issue?

If you prefer to D-I-Y, we recommend purchasing lawn insect control products at the local home improvement store and treating the mounds. Unfortunately, this usually means the mound just moves to another area of your yard rather than getting rid of them for good. We have a one-time treatment that lasts for a full year and guarantees your lawn to be fire ant-free. 

If this service, or any other seems to be a good fit for you, don't hesitate to fill out the form above or call our office at (352)378-5296.

When and where is this pest the most prevalent?

Aphids are prevalent on Crape Myrtles anytime they have leaves - which for our Gainesville lawns is from April through October. Typically, their remnants (the black sooty mold) is not seen until late summer, though. Aphids also attack other trees and shrubs in Gainesville yards as well.

How can I identify this as the problem in my lawn or landscape?

The quickest way to know if your Crape Myrtles have aphids is to see a black fungus looking substance covering the leaves. This substance is the excretion from the aphids, which dirt in the air sticks to and becomes black. It really isn’t a mold at all - it’s just a lawn insect infestation (Aphid, white fly, or scale) leaving their mark in your yard.

You may also notice a lot of ants and wasps around your crape myrtle, as these will feed on the aphids if the infestation is large enough to attract them.

How does it occur and how can I prevent it?

Aphids are like most other insects in that they go after unhealthy trees. Whether they’re drought stressed, rootbound, or in too much shade - Aphid infestations regularly are a symptom of a larger problem.

What can I do to resolve the issue?

The only natural way to rid your Crape Myrtles of aphids is to release ladybugs around the affected crapes. These ladybugs are what’s known as a ‘beneficial insect,’ because they protect the plant by feeding on the aphids that are damaging it.  Here’s a photo of them feeding:

The other way to resolve them is treating with a mixture of dish soap and water every couple days for several weeks. This is a slow process, but it’s faster than the ladybugs.

The third option is allowing our lawn insect control professionals spray the lawn. If you need lawn and ornamental pest control, please call our office at (352) 378-5296.