GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

August 8, 2009

Symptoms of chinch bug insect damage on turfgrasses appear as a dry, burned-looking patch in the hottest part of the lawn. Control with a listed contact insecticide. If left unchecked, these sucking insects can annihilate large patches of turf.

If you have brown patch-like symptoms in the heat of the summer, this is possibly referred to as Take-All Patch. Unlike brown patch that is normally a circular area with the edge of the circle having browning or yellowing grass and the interior of the circle having a more healthy green appearance, this patch disease symptom has brown, dead grass throughout the circle.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (var. israelensis) is a highly specific biological pesticide for use against mosquito, black fly, and fungus gnat larvae. It may be applied safely to irrigation and roadside ditches, pastures, marshes and ponds, water gardens, flower pots, bird baths, rain gutters, and any place there is standing water! Once ingested, Bt (v-i) kills 95-100% of mosquito larvae within 24 hours.

David Rodriguez is the County Extension Agent-Horticulture with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County. For more information, call the Master Gardener “Hotline” (210) 467-6575 or visit our County Extension website at http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu.