Once winter arrives in the Midwest, many homeowners assume their lawns are safe from pests. The cold weather may kill off certain insects, but it also drives others deeper underground where they can still damage a dormant lawn. Learn which creatures are creating havoc and how treating winter lawn pests can help keep your lawn healthy through the season and ready to bounce back in spring.

Common Midwest Winter Lawn Pests

While you may not see these common pests burrowed under snow or the soil, there are signs of their presence.

Grubs

The larvae of beetles burrow deep into the soil to escape freezing temperatures. They continue to feed on grassroots, which weakens your lawn’s ability to recover in the spring. If you notice more birds, skunks, or raccoons digging around your lawn, they’re probably searching for grubs. They can tell when your lawn is full of them. You can tell by feeling spongy patches of grass beneath your feet that lifts easily, revealing damaged roots.

Chinch Bugs

Even though they’re more active in summer, they spend the winter in thatch layers. If given the chance, they’ll resume damaging the lawn when they become active again in spring.

Armyworms

If the winter is more mild than usual, pests are more likely to survive and overwinter as larvae or pupae. Come spring, they emerge to feed on grass blades. You’ll know they’re around if you notice brown patches of chewed grass in early spring.

Voles

These small, mouse-like rodents are still active during winter. They’re used to burrowing under the snow and feeding on grassroots. Once the snow has melted, you’ll see how their surface tunnels have damaged your lawn’s uniformity and health.

Field Mice

They also burrow under snow, feed on grass and shred it to use for nests.

Once you notice the signs of pests, it may be too late to prevent the damage, but it’s not too late to treat it.

Treating Winter Lawn Pests

Many preventative winter pest treatments are more effective when applied in the late summer or early fall. However, there are still things you can do throughout the season to help prevent and treat lawn pests from causing too much damage.

• Keep your lawn clean before the first snowfall. Remove heavy piles of leaves and debris that could attract disease as well as create ideal hiding spots for pests.
• Use hardware cloth or mesh around tree bases and garden beds to prevent voles activity.
• Avoid large piles of snow on your lawn.
• Stay vigilant. If you notice signs of damage in your lawn. Start planning treatment for early spring to help invigorate your grass.

Since your grass is dormant during the winter and the ground is frozen, any extensive pest control method may end up damaging your lawn more. It’s best to wait until the weather warms and the grass starts actively growing again. Then you can turn to the following treatment options:

• Apply an insecticide to control grub, bug, and invasive worm populations
• Dethatch and aerate
• Reseed areas of dead grass

Winter pests may not be as visible other bugs, but their impact can be just as damaging. By staying alert through the winter, you can protect your lawn from pests with a plan to set the stage for a healthy, vibrant lawn come spring.