Fall armyworms
Caterpillars that arrive in waves, often after late-summer rain, and chew Bermuda and St. Augustine to the stems within days. Quick action limits the damage, and well-watered Bermuda usually grows back.
Serving Wood County
Lawn Pest Control in Hawkins, TX
Diagnosis and treatment for armyworms, white grubs, chinch bugs and other turf insects in St. Augustine, Bermuda and centipede lawns.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Licensed local partner
- Price approved before treatment
- Written report every visit
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (281) 326-6212. Or send this and we call you back.
Lawn Pests
Lawn Pest Control: what it covers
Quick answer
Lawn pest control in Hawkins targets the insects that brown out East Texas turf: fall armyworms in Bermuda, chinch bugs in sunny St. Augustine and white grubs under all three. Hawkins Pest Control connects you with a licensed local partner who confirms the insect first, prices the visit up front and explains how long to stay off the lawn.
Lawns around Hawkins are a mix of St. Augustine in shady town yards, Bermuda on sunny lots and along pastures, and centipede on the sandy soils common in this part of East Texas. Each grass has its own insect weak spots, and the damage often looks like drought or disease until someone checks the thatch and roots.
That is why a lawn visit starts with diagnosis. Treating a fungus with an insecticide wastes money, and timing matters: armyworms can strip a yard in days, while grubs work slowly underground. Fire ant mounds run on their own schedule; see fire ant control for the Two-Step approach.
- Service area
- Hawkins & Wood County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Typical cost
- $70–$140 (estimate)
- Phone
- (281) 326-6212
Warning signs
Signs you need lawn pest control
Do not stack several store-bought lawn products or put them down just before a storm, because runoff from sandy yards can reach ditches, creeks and ponds. Keep kids and pets off treated turf for as long as the label says, and never use a product on a vegetable garden unless the label allows it.
- Brown patches that spread by the day in late summer or fall
- Cattle egrets, grackles or other birds working one part of the lawn
- Striped green or brown caterpillars in the grass at dawn or dusk
- Turf that peels back like a rug, with C-shaped white grubs underneath
- Yellowing St. Augustine by the driveway that does not green up with water
- Armadillos or skunks digging small holes across the yard overnight
- Moths flying up out of the grass when you mow in the evening
Cost
How much does lawn pest control cost in Hawkins?
Lawn insect work is priced per visit and by lawn size. Most outbreaks need one or two targeted visits rather than a standing contract.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Lawn insect treatment (per visit) | $70–$140 | armyworms, grubs or chinch bugs on a typical lot |
| Fire ant yard treatment (typical lot; acreage quoted per acre) | $100–$275 | bait broadcast plus mound treatment |
| Mosquito control (per monthly visit, in season, up to about 1/2 acre) | $60–$110 | for yards that also hold mosquitoes in summer |
Estimates for Wood County lawns in 2026. Large lots and acreage are quoted after a look at the property, and you approve the price before any product goes down.
Options
Types and options for lawn pest control
White grubs
C-shaped larvae of May and June beetles that feed on roots in summer and early fall. Turf lifts like a loose carpet, and armadillos dig for them. Control is most effective on young grubs.
Chinch bugs
Tiny sap-sucking bugs in St. Augustine, mostly in hot, full-sun spots next to pavement. Damage starts yellow, turns straw-brown and keeps spreading even with watering.
Other turf insects
Sod webworms and ground pearls also show up here. Ground pearls, which hit centipede in sandy soil, have no reliable chemical fix, so the technician will say so and suggest care changes.
One call and it gets handled.
Most lawn pest control calls are scheduled the same day, and you approve the price before any work starts.
How can you tell if armyworms are in the lawn?
Look at dawn or dusk along the edge of a browning patch. Fall armyworms are green to brown caterpillars with stripes down the body and a pale, upside-down Y on the head. Birds flocking to one spot, chewed blades and grass that looks scalped overnight are strong clues. Outbreaks often follow late-summer rain.
A soap flush helps confirm it. Stir a couple of tablespoons of dish soap into a gallon of water, pour it over a square foot at the edge of the damage and watch for caterpillars wriggling up within minutes.
Lawns bordering Bermuda hay meadows and pastures on the edges of Hawkins often get hit first, because caterpillars march toward fresh turf once a field is eaten down.
Why is St. Augustine turning yellow next to the driveway?
Yellowing St. Augustine beside concrete in summer often points to chinch bugs. Pavement adds heat, the soil dries faster, and chinch bugs thrive in those hot, sunny strips. If the patches keep spreading after watering and small black bugs with white wing marks show up at the edge, insects are the likely cause rather than drought.
A can test confirms it. Push a can with both ends cut out into the turf at the edge of the damage, fill it with water and watch for chinch bugs floating up. Heavy nitrogen and thick thatch tend to make chinch bugs worse.
When are white grubs worth treating?
Treat grubs when you find several per square foot in turf that is already thinning, or when armadillos and skunks keep digging. Preventive products are most effective in early to mid summer, while grubs are small. Large grubs in fall are harder to control, and many lawns tolerate a few without any visible damage.
To check, cut three sides of a one-foot square of sod a couple of inches deep, fold it back and count the grubs in two or three spots. Sandy topsoil makes the job easy, and the turf presses back into place.
Which grass types around Hawkins are most at risk?
St. Augustine is the most insect-prone lawn here, mainly from chinch bugs and grubs. Bermuda handles sun and traffic but is a favorite of fall armyworms. Centipede, common on sandy East Texas soils, has fewer insect problems but suffers from ground pearls and too much fertilizer. Matching care to the grass prevents many outbreaks.
- St. Augustine: chinch bugs in full sun, grubs and sod webworms; keep thatch down and go easy on summer nitrogen
- Bermuda: fall armyworms and sod webworms; mow often and water deeply during dry spells
- Centipede: ground pearls and stress from overfeeding; use little fertilizer and avoid keeping the soil soggy
Our process
How our lawn pest control visit works
Diagnose the damage
The technician checks the edge of the dead area, not the middle, parting grass for chinch bugs, lifting turf for grubs and looking for caterpillars in the thatch.
Rule out look-alikes
Large patch, take-all root rot, drought, dog spots and herbicide injury all mimic insect damage. If insects are not the cause, you are told so rather than sold a treatment.
Match product and timing
Contact products fit active armyworm outbreaks, grub control is timed to young larvae, and chinch bug work focuses on hot, sunny edges. You approve the plan and price first.
Apply and water as labeled
Some products need watering in, others need to stay dry. The technician tells you which, and how long to keep kids and pets off the grass.
Written report
The service report lists the insect found, the product used and any mowing, watering or fertilizer changes that will help the lawn recover.
Wood County
Why lawn pest control is different in East Texas
The sandy topsoil over clay common around Hawkins drains quickly at the surface and holds water lower down. Lawns dry out fast in July and August, which favors chinch bugs, then flush with tender growth after late-summer rains, about when armyworm moths arrive.
Hay meadows, pastures and road ditches full of Bermuda feed armyworms on a large scale, and a lawn next to them sees caterpillars spill over the fence. Where lake lots around Lake Hawkins or golf-course homes at Holly Lake Ranch are kept in irrigated St. Augustine, chinch bugs and grubs top the list.
A growing season of about 246 days in Wood County gives turf insects several generations a year, and armyworms can return in more than one wave before the first frost. The East Texas pest calendar tracks those waves month by month.
Where we work
Lawn Pest Control across Wood County
- Lawn Pests in Lake Hawkins
- Lawn Pests in Big Sandy
- Lawn Pests in Fouke
- Lawn Pests in Red Springs
- Lawn Pests in Crow
- Lawn Pests in Winona
- Lawn Pests in Holly Lake Ranch
- Lawn Pests in Sand Flat
- Lawn Pests in Starrville
- Lawn Pests in Pritchett
- Lawn Pests in Owentown
- Lawn Pests in Hoard
- Lawn Pests in Shady Grove
- Lawn Pests in Pine Mills
- Lawn Pests in Rhonesboro
- Lawn Pests in Hainesville
- Lawn Pests in New Hope
- Lawn Pests in Lindale
- Lawn Pests in Little Hope
- Lawn Pests in Pine Springs
- Lawn Pests in Wood Springs
- Lawn Pests in Swan
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Fire Ant Control
Two-Step fire ant treatments for town lots, acreage, barns and well houses around Hawkins and southeastern Wood County.
Mosquito Control
Monthly in-season mosquito treatments for yards near Lake Hawkins, creeks, stock ponds and wooded lots.
Flea & Tick Control
Flea control for Hawkins homes with dogs and cats: indoor and shaded-yard treatment timed with your vet's pet care, plus brown dog ticks.
Tick Control
Yard, trail and woods-edge tick treatments for rural tracts, lake lots and pasture borders, with a written report after each visit.
FAQ
Lawn Pest Control FAQs
Will the lawn come back after armyworms?
Bermuda and well-rooted St. Augustine usually recover once the caterpillars are stopped, especially with watering and a light feeding. New sod and drought-stressed lawns recover more slowly and may need spots replaced.
Is the brown ring in my yard insects or fungus?
Brown rings in St. Augustine during cool, wet spells in spring or fall are often a fungal disease called large patch, also known as brown patch. Insect damage tends to show in hot, dry weather or as chewed blades. The technician checks before recommending anything.
Does a lawn need insect treatment every month?
Usually not. Most lawns need treatment only when an insect is found, or when a known problem, like grubs last year, calls for a timed preventive visit. Fire ants and mosquitoes are the exceptions.
How long should pets stay off a treated lawn?
That depends on the product label. Many lawn products require people and pets to stay off until the spray dries or the granules are watered in. The technician gives you exact instructions and lists the product on the service report.
Can a hay field or pasture be treated for armyworms?
This service is built for home lawns and landscaped grounds. Hay fields and grazed pasture fall under agricultural product labels, so ask about them on the call. The Wood County office of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in Quitman is also a good source on armyworms in forage.