Insects and other pests can be problematic when trying to maintain the beauty of your yard’s landscaping. One day your lawn looks fine. The next day it’s a mess. One minute your foliage has perfect edges. The next minute it looks chewed-up and uneven. It’s likely that the plants could have a disease, but the culprit is usually insects. Here are some popular intruders to your yard. These are just a sample of many bugs that can affect your lawn and garden.

If your lawn has unsightly brown spots, grubs and sodworms may be to blame. To verify this, pull on a handful of grass. If it pulls easily, without roots attached, you probably have a grubby problem. If the grass stays attached on a pull, it could be sodworm.

On flowers, you’ll get a different kind of pest. Earwigs are common and will feed on roots and leaves. The bugs are usually active at night and can defoliate plants in a matter of hours.

Your vegetable garden is susceptible to insects, too. Your prized tomato plant will be nil if you have a pest issue. Hornworms are the biggest offenders to tomatoes. These caterpillars cause rapid leaf loss on plants but are easy to control.

If you fear you have an insect issue, consult Phase One Landscapes or your local pest control rep.

Photo source: Judy Sedbrook; bramblejungle; CornflowerBlue07