Question
I have just finished prepared soil for sod. I removed existing lawn....tilled soil 5 inches, and added about 2.5 inches of sand, screened soil, black humus, and nitrofied redwood. I then applied a starter fertilizer and some sulfur stuff to adjust the soil. Tilled once more and graded. My question is about insecticide. We had no lawn prior so can't really say what the insect problem might have been. But now we will have a lush irrigated lawn. We also have many many racoons nearby. I was informed that insecticide would prevent bugs from establishing themselves and thwart any problems with racoons digging up the sod. The application process is to apply to soil and lightly rake in prior to laying sod. My question is...is this overkill, or good installation practice. I am concerned because we have one cat that loves hunting crickets and the insecticide box makes it sound like it deserves some very serious consideration from a safety standpoint. Any thoughts would be appreciated?

Answer
Absolutely do NOT apply an insecticide at this point.

Insect problems are seasonal.  Insects may cause serious problems on the property, but when the climate changes, so will the insect problems.  Whatever you had before may or may not come back, but laying out chemicals preventatively is never advisable if you don't have a realistic idea of what the problem is going to be.

Let the cat hunt and treat any insect problems if and when they arise.  The raccoons will always be poking around, even if the lawn is relatively free of insects.  Keep in mind also, 98% of the insects are beneficial.  You'll be killing off many of those good ones every time you try to kill the bad ones.  Over time, you can really throw off the soil ecosystem.

The trick here would be to get a VERY accurate diagnosis when you see problems arise.  Find a reliable pro nearby if you don't feel up to the task.  Once you know what you've got, you can treat appropriately.

Good luck with the new lawn!

-C.J. Brown
www.TheLawnCoach.com