Lawn and Ornamental Pest Control in Parkland

• Yellow to brown patches that spread outward, often near the driveway or sidewalk
• Dead grass in sunny spots while shady spots stay green
• Hedge leaves that are sticky or covered in black film
• White waxy spirals on the underside of leaves
• Clouds of tiny white insects when you brush a hedge

Brown grass isn't always bugs. Before anybody treats, check. UF suggests looking at the edge where brown meets green. Part the grass and look for tiny black and white adults or orange nymphs down in the thatch. You can also run a handheld vacuum over about a square foot at that edge and dump it on white paper.

If you find them, treatment makes sense. UF also warns chinch bugs are building resistance to many insecticides, so a provider who rotates products and fixes the underlying stress (mowing too short, too much nitrogen, sprinkler gaps) will get better results than one who just sprays.

Whiteflies feed on the undersides of leaves and leave behind a sticky waste called honeydew. A black fungus called sooty mold grows on it. The Florida Department of Agriculture says the rugose spiraling whitefly hits gumbo limbo and palms hardest, especially coconut, and has more than 60 host plants. Ficus hedges have their own whitefly too.

Treating hedges usually means a product the plant takes up through its roots or trunk, or targeted sprays, plus pruning. Ants farm the honeydew, so a whitefly problem often comes with an ant problem. Our whitefly guide goes deeper.

Other turf pests show up too, like white grubs that eat roots and leave grass you can roll up like carpet. Describe what you see and the provider will tell you whether it's a bug problem, a watering problem or a disease. Not every brown spot needs an insecticide.