zyus_2012 Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 I just bought a house in MA. Yesterday I suddenly noticed big patches on the lawn which are yellow with no grass grow. When I look closer, there are many holes evenly distributed over the patches. Each hole is roughly a finger wide. The soil is very loose and soft when stepped on. Does anybody recognize these holes? Any kind of pest that might affect the main house? Any treatment available? Thanks a lot! Click to Enlarge 101.2 KB Click to Enlarge 112.72 KB Click to Enlarge 78.53 KB Click to Enlarge 125.45 KB Click to Enlarge 112.47 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Armadillos do something like that down here in the south. I don't know if they range that far north. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyus_2012 Posted June 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Armadillos do something like that down here in the south. I don't know if they range that far north. Marc It's the first time I hear about Armadillos. Thank you for the information. That animal seems bigger than the finger-wide hole size. Maybe my photo didn't reveal clearly, there are hundreds of those black little holes with dry grass curling around the openings. I am not sure if it can also be some bug or termite or ants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Aside from pets or stuffed specimens, there are no armadillos in MA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Cicadas leave a hole about that size, and when they come out, there's millions of them. You're in prime cicada country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Cicadas leave a hole about that size, and when they come out, there's millions of them. You're in prime cicada country. Would they damage the lawn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 It certainly looks like cicada larvae exit holes. They don't kill the grass though. When underground, they're feeding on tree roots. This is the year that the 17 year periodic cicada larvae are emerging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 That's my curiosity; they don't kill grass, they just leave exit holes. Other than the dead grass, it looks just like cicadas and this is the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Just because they live in the ground for 17 years doesn't mean we see them only once in 17 years. I see them much more often than that. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Just because they live in the ground for 17 years doesn't mean we see them only once in 17 years. I see them much more often than that. Marc Exactly! That's why I think it might be the lesser known, but every bit as dreaded "armadillo cicada", which has 16 year 8 month cycle. Like it's larger cousin from the south, it also has a healthy appetite for Lone Star Beer. This would explain the burnt grass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Morrison Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 My family lived in Malden for about 100 years before I was born in the next town over, Melrose. I can say with authority there are no armadillos thereabouts. Cicadas either, from what I've read, they're a little further south. The very best pest exterminator company I know of is www.YankeePestControl.com is located on Main St. in Malden. Give them a call and tell 'em Jimmy sent ya. They'll treat you right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Booth Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 ...............I have had similar issues with lawn grubs. The grass is killed by the grubs feeding on the root system and the holes are caused by neighborhood skunks digging for the grubs--good eats......Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 Just because they live in the ground for 17 years doesn't mean we see them only once in 17 years. I see them much more often than that. Marc There are somewhere around 2500 species of cicada with many different life cycles. Some of the periodic species have a 13 year life cycle and some other periodic species have a 17 year cycle. A 17 year periodic cicada species is emerging this year with very large numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 I've seen at least three cicada events since buying my current home 11 years ago. This year's event hasn't begun here yet. Does that mesh with your understanding of this insect? Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 My family lived in Malden for about 100 years before I was born in the next town over, Melrose. I can say with authority there are no armadillos thereabouts. Cicadas either, from what I've read, they're a little further south. . . . I grew up in Connecticut and we had no shortage of cicadas. Admittedly, CT is a little further south than MA, but the climate is about the same. I'm surprised you don't have them. It's possible that the holes have nothing to do with the dead grass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Morrison Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 I'm no cicada expert, but I dig this stuff and the maps I looked at when I first heard about this year's cicada orgy had the northernmost border of the event south of MA. In any event, since the lawnholes are already evident and the cicadas ain't, I'm thinking we're talking about something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 It's not exclusive to the East. We have 17 year Cicadas here too, although they are on a different 17 year schedule; I have no idea why. We had a major blast in about 1989, and another in 2006 or thereabouts. It's freaky when they get going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyus_2012 Posted June 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 Indeed I didn't see or hear any cicadas nearby. I'll read more about grubs since they do feed on grass roots. And those tiny holes may be created when the beetles crawl out of the soil, which means I already missed the season to kill them with insecticide... Think I'll need to consult a local pest control expert. I'll update again if I could get any definite answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Amaral Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 I'm with Jimmy M on this.. Call Yankee Pest... They are good people and right there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyus_2012 Posted June 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 Thanks a lot. Noted down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlparham Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 Just because they live in the ground for 17 years doesn't mean we see them only once in 17 years. I see them much more often than that. Marc There are somewhere around 2500 species of cicada with many different life cycles. Some of the periodic species have a 13 year life cycle and some other periodic species have a 17 year cycle. A 17 year periodic cicada species is emerging this year with very large numbers. Bill is now an entomologist. Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyus_2012 Posted August 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Hi, thank you all for your input. After moving into the house for 3 wks, I see many beetles around the house. They looks like Japanese beetles according to those online images. I also hear cicadas from the trees in the neighborhood. Besides that, some landscaping guys also guess that it could also be ants who made those holes. And I do see ants in my lawn, big and small. So the conclusion is: grubs damaged the lawn, cicadas and ants made holes on it. And I got to take action on all three of them. I spreaded "Trazicide insect killer for lawn", and I think I see less beetles on my windows at night. But the ants are still happy and active in the lawn. I tried all kinds of ant bait - No Use. And to prevent grubs, i am thinking about GrubEX in the late summer. Any other better options and good experience to share? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Why not just nuke the whole thing? I always look forward to cicada season. Some are still flying around. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdhutch Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 The pictures are not that great but look similiar to holes created by Cicada Killers, a solitary wasps that digs the holes and lays eggs. These appear by the thousands during the summer months. This is a non-aggressive wasp and they may or may not appear in the same spot next year. http://www.theatlantic.com/national/arc ... /277688/ar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 Javelinas. Click to Enlarge 12.54 KB They will turn your lawn into a dust bowl. But they will get rid of the cicadas. And the armadillos, too. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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