Southern Chinch Bug - The most important pest of St. Augustine grass in Florida. Adults are 1/5 inch long, black with patches on their backs. Nymphs are reddish orange with a white band on their backs. They range from 1/20 to 1/5 inch long. Both adults and nymphs can severely damage lawns by sucking plant juices through needlelike mouthparts that are inserted at the base of the grass plant. The result is yellowish areas in the lawn that eventually turn a reddish brown.

Tropical Sod Webworm - The most common caterpillar damaging lawns, the sod webworm is the larvae of a small brown moth. The moths rest in shrubbery next to the grass during the day and fly over the lawn at dusk depositing their eggs. Larvae chew notches in grass blades, causing a ragged appearance.

White Grub - They live below the surface of all types of grass and feed on the roots of causing the turf to die in large areas due to lack of roots. They are the larvae of the May-June beetle and Japanese beetle, and their damage is most severe in late Summer and early Fall. When damage is severe, turf can be rolled back like a carpet.

Mole Cricket - Florida is home to four species of mole crickets: the southern, the northern, the tawny, and short winged mole cricket. Mole crickets are considered a very serious pest of turfgrass in Florida. Bahia and bermuda grass are their favorite hosts. They are more rarely found in St. Augustine grass. They tunnel through the soil, uprooting grass and severing roots. Mole crickets have two generations a year in south Florida.