There are a handful of occurrences that are guaranteed to ruffle the neck hairs of property owners in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. One of them is a bluegrass billbug invasion. They can literally turn a lush lawn or healthy field full of crops into a barren wasteland in what seems like no time at all. Good thing our plant health care experts know what it takes to win the battle against these wicked weevils.
The first order of business is to set up linear or pitfall traps. The traps will help confirm that an invasion has taken place and let the property owner know how bad the situation may have already become. Depending on the type, adult billbugs are anywhere from ¼-inch to 7/18-inch in length. The bluegrass variety tends to be 5/18-inches long. The majority of the adult species have puncture marks on their pronotums and wing covers. They may also sport a brown, gray, black or yellowish hue.
As for the larva, they may be up to 3/8-inches long and the pupae that follow are often up to 2-inches long. They tend to range in color from white and cream to a reddish-brown. Most of the species lay their eggs during May and June, so the larvae often appear in July and August. By early September, they enter the pupae stage and emerge as adults shortly thereafter.
Overwintering understandably starts once the temperatures drop. Thus, the best time to address a billbug invasion is while they are in the adult stage. However, they may be confronted when they are in the larval stage too. The list of treatment options includes, but is not limited to insecticide granules and sprays. For additional information on handling bluegrass billbug invasions, please contact our plant health care pros today.