Although insects can be serious pests of lawns, lawn damage is more frequently due to lack of proper cultural care and/or improper grass species selection for your area. An unhealthy lawn is more easily attacked by insects, weeds and diseases.
Insects are sometimes are blamed for lawn damage when the culprit may actually be disease-causing pathogens, dog urine, or abiotic causes such as leaving an item on the lawn for some time and inappropriate use of garden chemicals such as fertilizers and herbicides.
Learn more about monitoring by reading the Lawn Insects Pest Note or Quick Tip on the UC IPM website. See the UC Guide to Healthy Lawns for much more information about diagnosing pest problems, proper lawn care, and how to keep your lawn healthy.