{"id":9776,"date":"2022-05-27T19:40:48","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T19:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/?p=9776"},"modified":"2023-11-21T17:51:01","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T17:51:01","slug":"how-to-get-rid-ground-pearls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rid-ground-pearls\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Rid of Ground Pearls in Your Lawn"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pearls may be a girl\u2019s best friend (we never cared for diamonds), but they are no friend of your lawn. Ground pearls are the immature state of an insect that will literally suck the juice from your grass roots. Since no one wants an underground nemesis munching on their grass, how do you get rid of ground pearls? We have a few tips and ideas on how to manage these insects and return your lawn to its former glory.<\/p>   <div class=\"wp-block-ub-table-of-contents-block ub_table-of-contents\" id=\"ub_table-of-contents-747442fc-2ded-49af-bc0c-0f398433b98d\" data-linktodivider=\"false\" data-showtext=\"show\" data-hidetext=\"hide\" data-scrolltype=\"auto\" data-enablesmoothscroll=\"false\" data-initiallyhideonmobile=\"false\" data-initiallyshow=\"true\"><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header-container\" style=\"\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header\" style=\"text-align: left; \"> \t\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-title\" style=\"\">In this article, we&#8217;ll cover:<\/div> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-extra-container\" style=\"\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-container ub_table-of-contents-1-column\"> \t\t\t\t<ul style=\"\"><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rid-ground-pearls\/#0-what-are-ground-pearls\" style=\"\">What are ground pearls?<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rid-ground-pearls\/#5-how-to-identify-ground-pearls-in-your-lawn\" style=\"\">How to identify ground pearls in your lawn<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rid-ground-pearls\/#6-what-do-ground-pearls-eat\" style=\"\">What do ground pearls eat?<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rid-ground-pearls\/#7-how-to-get-rid-of-ground-pearls\" style=\"\">How to get rid of ground pearls<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rid-ground-pearls\/#8-how-to-prevent-ground-pearl-damage\" style=\"\">How to prevent ground pearl damage<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>   <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"0-what-are-ground-pearls\"><span id=\"what-are-ground-pearls\">What are ground pearls?<\/span><\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ground pearls are a type of scale insect that munch on warm-season grass root systems in the southern and southwestern parts of the U.S.&nbsp;<\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-ground-pearl-life-cycle-\"><span id=\"ground-pearl-life-cycle\">Ground pearl life cycle&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In early summer, the female ground pearl lays her eggs. The nymphs, or immature ground pearls, emerge from their eggs around mid-summer. After the summer season, nymphs overwinter as small cysts or \u201cpearls\u201d (yes, they look just like the gem) and emerge in the spring to take on their adult forms.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> If conditions aren\u2019t ideal, nymphs may not emerge as adults in the spring. (Scientists don\u2019t yet understand the ideal soil temperature and moisture requirement for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gcmonline.com\/course\/environment\/news\/ground-pearls-turf#:~:text=their%20emergence%20time%20changes%20from%20year%20to%20year%20depending%20on%20soil%20moisture%20and%20temperature.%20it%20is%20unclear%20at%20this%20point%20what%20temperature%20and%20what%20level%20of%20soil%20moisture%20would%20trigger%20consistent%20emergence%20of%20adult%20females%20from%20the%20cysts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spring emergence<\/a>.) They may stay in the nymphal stage for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lsuagcenter.com\/topics\/lawn_garden\/commercial_horticulture\/turfgrass\/turfgrass-insects\/ground-pearl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">several years<\/a> before coming into adulthood and producing the next generation.<\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-feeding-behavior-\"><span id=\"feeding-behavior\">Feeding behavior&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly after the nymphs emerge in mid-summer, they start to feed on the juice of grass roots. This feeding behavior causes irregular circular patches of yellow grass that are most noticeable during short periods of dry weather. The grass will eventually turn brown and die by fall.<\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-size-\"><span id=\"size\">Size&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ground pearl <a href=\"https:\/\/content.ces.ncsu.edu\/ground-pearls-in-turf#section_heading_11097\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nymphs and adult females<\/a> are about 1\/16 inch long. Adult males are slightly smaller than females.<\/p>    <div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/rsz_2eumargarodes_laingi-buss.jpg\" alt=\"Eumargarodes\" class=\"wp-image-9930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/rsz_2eumargarodes_laingi-buss.jpg 800w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/rsz_2eumargarodes_laingi-buss-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/rsz_2eumargarodes_laingi-buss-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/rsz_2eumargarodes_laingi-buss-610x409.jpg 610w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/rsz_2eumargarodes_laingi-buss-390x261.jpg 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption>Lyle Buss | <a href=\"https:\/\/entnemdept.ufl.edu\/insectid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Insect Identification Lab<\/a> | University of Florida Entomology &amp; Nematology Department<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-appearance-\"><span id=\"appearance\">Appearance&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Females are a bright \u201chot pink\u201d color. Males are gnat-like in appearance. Nymphs (immature ground pearls) excrete a covering that envelopes their entire body (except their mouth). This wax-like coating ranges in color from pink to a yellow-brown color, looks like a pearl or fertilizer pellet, and is what you\u2019re likely to see if you dig into the lawn.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-how-to-identify-ground-pearls-in-your-lawn\"><span id=\"how-to-identify-ground-pearls-in-your-lawn\">How to identify ground pearls in your lawn<\/span><\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Follow these tips to find and identify ground pearls in your lawn:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Go to the turf that is yellowing or brown (on the boundary between healthy and infested grass)<\/li><li>Dig down to between 6-<a href=\"http:\/\/turf.okstate.edu\/pest-management\/insects-1\/ground-pearls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10 inches<\/a> deep<\/li><li>Look on the roots of the grass to find the tiny pearls<\/li><\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a helpful video from the University of Florida on how to find these insects in an infested lawn:<\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe title=\"Turfgrass Talk: Ground Pearls in a North Florida Lawn\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N8qb-bwcs20?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> <\/div><\/figure>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-what-do-ground-pearls-eat\"><span id=\"what-do-ground-pearls-eat\">What do ground pearls eat?<\/span><\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ground pearls primarily eat <a href=\"https:\/\/entnemdept.ufl.edu\/creatures\/orn\/turf\/ground_pearls.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">grasses<\/a>. Some of their favorite turf grasses include:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/bahiagrass-guide\/\">Bahiagrass<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/bermudagrass-guide\/\">Bermudagrass<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/carpetgrass-guide\/\">Carpetgrass<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/centipedegrass-guide\/\">Centipedegrass<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/st-augustinegrass-guide\/\">St. Augustinegrass<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/zoysiagrass-guide\/\">Zoysiagrass<\/a><\/li><\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have a warm-season lawn, you could be at risk. However, of all the warm-season grasses, centipedegrass seems to be the most likely to become infested. Bahiagrass, bermudagrass, and carpetgrass seem to be <a href=\"https:\/\/content.ces.ncsu.edu\/ground-pearls-in-turf#section_heading_13747\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">less susceptible<\/a> to these insects.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">North Carolina State University <a href=\"https:\/\/lee.ces.ncsu.edu\/2016\/05\/dont-want-those-pearls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">adds<\/a> that \u201cEl Toro\u201d Zoysia and vigorous grasses such as \u201cCelebration\u201d\u2019 bermuda hold up well against damage from these insect pests. <strong>Caveat:<\/strong> NCSU notes that resistant grasses perform better in areas with heavy soils than in areas with sandy soils.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-how-to-get-rid-of-ground-pearls\"><span id=\"how-to-get-rid-of-ground-pearls\">How to get rid of ground pearls<\/span><\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ground pearls are one of the rare pests for which there are few treatment options. There are no chemical controls or insecticides that have proven to reduce populations significantly, nor are there biological controls that have been developed.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There may be one method that shows promise, according to a 2015 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cnKS0iCDVHk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">news report<\/a>. One company in North Carolina uses a steam injection method that has proven successful in reducing ground pearls in home lawns. If you\u2019re of an engineering ilk, you may be able to test this out yourself or see if there\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lawnlove.com\">a local company<\/a> that provides this innovative service.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Otherwise, the best way to manage ground pearl damage is to reduce the stress on your lawn. If you\u2019ve already fertilized and watered well, here are a few other ways to minimize the effect on your lawn:&nbsp;<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Plant a grass that is resistant to ground pearls (see \u201cWhat do ground pearls eat?\u201d).<\/li><\/ul>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Opt for alternatives, such as a few mulched ornamental garden beds.<\/li><\/ul>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Don\u2019t move soil from the area, and clean your shovels, trowels, etc., after use in an infested area.<\/li><\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> If you plant new grass, these insects will continue to feed on your lawn; although, with a more resistant grass, you may not notice the damage as much. Reach out to your local Extension Office. These local lawn, garden, and entomology experts can help you determine the best way to manage the damage <em>and<\/em> have a beautiful landscape at your home.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-how-to-prevent-ground-pearl-damage\"><span id=\"how-to-prevent-ground-pearl-damage\">How to prevent ground pearl damage<\/span><\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don\u2019t yet have a problem with these subterranean vampires that suck the life out of your turfgrass roots, here are a few ways to avoid them:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Before you install sod, make sure there are no small, pearl-like insects attached to the roots.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Cultivate a healthy lawn: Strong lawns show less ground pearl damage, even if they are heavily infested. <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/lawn-care-fertilizer-basics-what-to-look-for-in-your-fertilizer\/\">Fertilize<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-water-lawn\/\">irrigate<\/a> appropriately for your grass and soil type. If you have clay or heavy soil, <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-aerate-your-lawn-2\/\">aerate your lawn<\/a> annually and <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/guide-to-warm-season-grasses\/#9-mow-at-the-correct-height\">mow at the correct height<\/a> for your warm-season grass type.<\/li><\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Word to the Wise:<\/strong> North Carolina State University notes that there <em>may be<\/em> a correlation between ground pearls and acidic soils. Ask your local Extension Office if they\u2019ve noticed this relationship between soil and pest in your area.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>If you want to make sure ground pearls are the issue or want someone else to strengthen your lawn, contact one of <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lawnlove.com\"><em>Lawn Love\u2019s lawn care experts<\/em><\/a><em>. They\u2019ll help diagnose the problem and get your lawn on the road to recovery.<\/em><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Main photo credit: James Castner | <a href=\"https:\/\/entnemdept.ufl.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Florida Entomology &amp; Nematology Department<\/a> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pearls may be a girl\u2019s best friend (we never cared for diamonds), but they are no friend of your lawn. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":9928,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[126],"tags":[147],"class_list":["post-9776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lawn-care-tips","tag-lawn-care"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/rsz_ground_pearls-castner.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Sarah Bahr","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/sarah-bahr\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}