Drought Injury Or ...

As rain moves through the eastern United States, Kentucky bluegrass turf showing moisture stress or drought should start to green-up.  If areas in the turf fail to green-up, check for bluegrass billbug injury.  Although bluegrass billbugs do their damage in June, symptoms often are confused with summer drought symptoms.  At this time symptoms appear as spotty bleached out areas.  Diagnosing bluegrass damage requires slightly tugging on the affected plants.  If the shoots are easily pulled up, this is the first potential sign of billbug injury.  Look closely at the base of the plants.  If the shoots are “hollow” and a brownish-yellow fras (fecal by product of the grub) is present at the base of the plant, injury is most likely due to bluegrass billbug.  At this time of the year, little can be done.  Fertilize and water to encourage recovery.  In some instances, reseeding may be required.  If injury is chronic, next spring treat for the bluegrass billbug before symptoms appear.

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