Virginia Green Grow Beyond Blog

Japanese beetles were first found in New Jersey in 1916 and have spread from Maine to the Carolina’s. The Japanese beetle has been well established in Virginia since the early 1970’s. The Japanese beetle can be found throughout Virginia and populations are dependent on soil type, soil moisture, and host plants. 

Recently in the Richmond area, there has been an introduction of another “Organic Lawn Care Company” offering an organic solution to reduce fertilizer and pesticide usage.  This approach has been around for years, but don’t think for a minute these companies are out shoveling fertilizer out of hog houses in Smithfield or chicken houses on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and applying these “organic fertilizers” to your lawn, they are using the same fertilizers and pesticides to provide services traditional lawn care companies utilize. 

Moss can become prevalent in Virginia’s lawns during times of wet weather. Moss are non-vascular plants typically found in moist, shaded areas with poor airflow. Lacking seeds and flowers, they reproduce via spores. The weed control applications contained in Virginia Green’s programs will not help eradicate moss. 

What Are Moles?

Moles are burrowing mammals that often inhabit residential lawns. They are especially common around wooded lots and natural areas of vegetation. Their tunneling habits destroy the root systems from your grass, potentially causing extensive and expensive damage. However, moles are also known to be natural aerators. These animals are insectivores, with earthworms being their main food source.

Nobody likes to pull weeds. While some weeds will inevitably germinate and need to be sprayed or pulled, a few simple things can be done to prevent these issues. 

What are these small green worms in my trees? 

The small green worms you find in your trees are called cankerworms or inchworms. Cankerworms overwinter as eggs in the top of shade trees and typically hatch at the end of March and early April.  

What do inchworms look like?  

Cankerworms can be green, brown or brown with a black stripe. They are called inchworms because of the peculiar movement they do.