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Safety Products

Please be sure to read the product label of any insecticide you choose to use to get information on the personal protective safety gear you will need. In most situations, it is recommended that you wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, closed toe shoes with socks, chemical resistant gloves, and goggles. In areas where ventilation is poor, a manufacturer may recommend you wear a mask or a respirator. We have put together two different safety kits that will make selecting the correct safety gear easier for you.

How To Get Rid of Billbugs

Bluegrass Billbug Treatment & Control Guide

By DoMyOwn staff
Overview

Use The Right Products At The Right Time

Getting rid of bluegrass billbugs in your yard can be accomplished by using the right products at the right time. It is important to note that adult billbugs and billbug larvae are controlled with different products due to their feeding habits and harborage changes in the different parts of their life cycles. Controlling billbug larvae early on is the best way to avoid damage, but billbug larvae can be controlled in either the spring or the summer.
Step 1

Preventative Applications

Optimal efficacy will be achieved if the insecticide application is done just before billbugs hatch. Timing is important because it will help to control both the adults in the turf, as well as the newly hatched larvae. Typically, egg hatch will occur in late April through May, depending on which region you are located in.

Treating for billbugs at this time will also help to avoid the damage to your lawn that billbugs cause.

You can check with your local cooperative extension office if you are not sure when billbugs hatch in your region.

Products needed for Step 1

Step 2

Summer Applications

Applying in the summer, after billbugs have been feeding since spring, can still help to control populations and allow your grass to bounce back. See the video above for application instructions.

Keep the following things in mind for a successful treatment:

  • Choose products formulated to control billbugs or billbug larvae. It is very important that you choose a product that is labeled for the adult billbug if that is your target or the billbug larvae if that is your target.
  • Watering your lawn a few days before application will help to bring larvae as close to the surface as possible to give you optimal chances of contact with insecticide.
  • Mow lawn and remove clippings , and if the thatch layer is thick, aerate to increase penetration of the product.
  • Products generally need to be watered in after application.
  • Make sure you apply the product evenly to the entire area you want to treat.
  • Read all label instructions carefully for proper application, application rates, etc.

Products needed for Step 2

Billbug Treatment Infographic

(Click to Enlarge)

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