Search

Digger Bees and Crane Flies - Pest Control Tips from Spring-Green Lawn Care

Share this post:

Spring and summer always seem to be the busiest time of the year with questions from our website visitors. Whether it's a lawn disease, some pesky pests you're having trouble controlling or even something as unusual-looking and unidentifiable as dog vomit fungus, our resident expert, Harold Enger, is available to assist. Among the questions we received this week were two readers asking for advice about some common flying pests, digger bees and crane flies.

diggerbees

Question:

"How do you get rid of digger bees? They are covering my front and side lawns, digging into the ground and leaving little mounds. They go away after about a month but destroy the lawn."

Harold's Response:

Thank you for submitting your question. Digger bees usually dig their burrows or nests in thin lawns, so one of the ways to keep them in check is to improve the density of your lawn by core aerating it in the late summer/early fall and over seed. This recommendation is based on assuming you have a grass that can easily be overseeded, like Tall Fescue. Of course, it goes without saying that following a good fertilizer program will also help to improve the density. If you do wish to spray for them, use a pyrethroid product, such as bifenthrin or permethrin. You can find these products at hardware stores, garden centers or home improvement centers. Be sure to read and follow all label directions before using the product.

cranefly

Question:

"Crane fly seems to be a problem in our area. When do you recommend spraying for this pest, and what product do you suggest?"

Harold's Response:

Thank you for sending in your question. If you still have active crane flies, then you should spray your lawn with an insect control product that contains bifenthrin. This product will control the larval stage of the insect. The product is included in a number of commercially available products that can be purchased at hardware stores, garden centers and home improvement centers. March is usually the better time to apply the product, when the larvae are small and easier to control. Once they get bigger, their feeding slows down and they are more difficult to control. Be sure to read and follow all label directions before using the product.