Nothing can ruin the joy of a beautiful lawn like an infestation of insects. They ruin plants and make us itch and uncomfortable. Some, such as ticks, even give us diseases, like Lyme disease. Before we set out to eradicate an infestation, we've got to identify the pests we've got.

Fleas are dark reddish brown and about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch long. They are hard-bodied with no wings and are vertically flat. They have three pairs of legs and are excellent jumpers. Their eggs are white, smooth and oval, and the larvae are worm-like and straw colored with brown heads.

Ticks are separated into two groups, hard ticks and soft ticks. Hard ticks' heads and mouth parts are easily visible from the top. Their bodies resemble a shield shape. Soft ticks have a sack-like nondescript body shape. The soft ticks' mouth parts aren't visible from above.

Preventing Insect Infestation

Wild rodents and birds can carry ticks and fleas that can infest your lawn. Put screens over chimneys and seal vents where rats, mice, squirrels, raccoons and so on nest. The presence of these creatures will thwart any insect elimination efforts.