Name three common turfgrass insects and one sign of damage for each.

• A. Grubs (white grubs) — root feeding and thinning turf; chinch bugs — yellow patches and wilting; sod webworms — brown irregular patches with fecal frass at the soil surface
• B. Grubs — leaf curling; chinch bugs — soil erosion; sod webworms — growth
• C. Grubs — stem damage; chinch bugs — drought; sod webworms — pale patches
• D. Grubs — above-ground feeding; chinch bugs — drought; sod webworms — pale patches

Answer: (A)

Grubs feed on roots, so their impact shows up as thinning turf that may pull up easily because the roots aren’t firmly attached. Chinch bugs suck sap from the blades, leading to yellow patches and wilting, especially in hot, dry conditions. Sod webworms feed near the soil surface on leaf tissue and leave brown irregular patches with visible fecal frass on the soil surface. This combination—root thinning from grubs, yellowing/wilting from chinch bugs, and brown patches with frass from sod webworms—best matches the signs described. Other options don’t align with how these pests typically feed and damage turf.