DAMAGE DESCRIPTION:
Infested turfs turn yellow, then brown in summer, and die in fall in irregular patches; examination of sod plug at 2 to 3 inch soil depth reveals globular, whitish, pearl-like shells attached to the roots; immature nymphs occur on roots as small, yellowish-purple, pearl-like cysts; pinkish scale insect covered with hard, globular shell up to 2 mm in diameter; root sucking insect; typically occurs in warm humid climates; these are immature stages of a scale insect; can occur as deep as a foot in the soil; injure plants by removing liquids containing carbohydrates and minerals from the roots.
HOST GRASSES:
Mainly attack warm season turfgrasses-Centipedegrass, Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass
LIFE CYCLE:
Nymphs hatch from eggs during the summer, crawl onto the grass roots, and attach needle-like sucking mouthparts; protective, cyst covering forms rapidly, under which immobile nymph matures; 1 year life cycle.
FACTORS THAT MAY PROMOTE INSECT DAMAGE:
Monitor turf for injury symptoms and check under sod for the pearl like shells.
CULTURAL CONTROL:
Proper fertility, watering and mowing to keep grass healthy; fumigate to depth of 12 inches and reestablish; follow sanitary practices to prevent introduction, as is frequently introduced on vegetative sprigs, plugs, and sod.
CHEMICAL CONTROL:
Little if any effectiveness from insecticides, mainly because of the depth they can reach.
| Specific Insecticide Recommendations | ||||
|
Insecticide (chemical name) |
Efficacy |
Application Interval |
Time of Year To Apply |
Example of Products (trade names |
| Permethrin | Poor to Fair | As needed | Summer | Prelude, Astro |
| Malathion | Poor to Fair | As needed | Summer | Malathion |
| Trichlorfon | Poor to Fair | As needed | Summer | Dylox, Pronto |
REFERENCES:
Beard, J. B. 2002. Turfgrass Management for Golf Courses. Second Edition. Ann Harbor Press. Chelsea, Michigan..
Decker, H. F., Decker, J. M. 1988. Lawn Care-A Handbook for Professionals. Prentice Hall. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Liskey, E., “Turfgrass Insecticides”, Grounds Maintenance, Volume 37, Number 2, February 2002, pp. 8-10.
Turgeon, A. J. 2002. Turfgrass Management. Sixth Edition. Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Taylor, G. R. - Editor. 2000. Turfgrass Pesticide Recommendations 1999-2000. Extension Publication SCS-1991-01. Texas A&M University. College Station, Texas.
Emmons, R. D. 2000. Turfgrass Science and Management. Third Edition. Delmar Thomson Learning. Albany, New York.