Flying bugs in my lawn

[wonderlyeric]

I have perennial ryegrass for my lawn and lately everytime I walk out in the lawn or mow, thousands of little flying insects start flying around. I also have some large dying patches on the lawn. Could these bugs be causing the dying patches? How do I get rid of the bugs?

[Ax Man]

There are many insects that can damage turf.
I think a little more detail might help. Can you catch and describe one of the tiny insects? Are they beetles, moths, or more like a fly?

[wonderlyeric]

I'll try and catch some, but just from what i've seen they are little tiny light colored flies. I'll try and get some more detail.

[jwholden]

Do they look like little moths? Do they fly up and land a few feet away? If yes, Google Sod Webworm and see if we have a match.

If you have a problem with insects or disease it is because part of the ecology in your lawn is out of balance. If your lawn is a rye blend try mixing in some other species of grass for diversity. If one species does not thrive under the growing conditions another will take over to fill the void.

The only time I ever saw a sod webworm was on a pure rye lawn I seeded. The only time I ever say rust out of control was on a the same lawn. I am not a very big fan of rye. Rye is great for oversseeding bare spots because of its quick growth.

Most people want to go out and buy some chemical and kill all the Sod Webworms and beneficial earthworms in their lawn. Could you live with a less then perfect lawn for another month and aerate, thatch, and overseed your lawn with a better mix of grass seed in late August or early September.

Lawn care is not about a one time quick fix. It is about finding a balance of your Mowing, Watering, Fertilizing, and Seeding practices and managing your soils fertililtiy based on the results of a soil test. With chemicals and synthetic fertilizers you can take short cuts and have a beautiful lawn inexpensively. The question is what are we sacrificing in order to have this beautiful lawn.