Excessive rain bringing bugs and fungus

APOPKA, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - All the recent rain may not be good news for your yard. The rainfall is attracting destructive bugs and algae, which feast on your grass.

Lawn service companies say when they take a closer look at some of these seemingly plush lawns, they're finding that grass that should look like this, a lot of it's looking like this because of bugs brought on by the rain.

Rain, rain, go away. Homeowner Charlotte Marienthal says there is such thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to rain. 

“We’ve never had rain for so long. This is way too much.”

Her lawn looks green and healthy, but she told Fox 35 “we kept noticing the brown and I was like I don't think it's the bugs yet. I think it's too much water.” 

Lawn care specialist Chris Garrett says her lawn’s brown spots, bugs and fungus are all caused by the rain. 

“We are definitely in to excessive rain here,” said Garrett, a general manager at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control.

Garrett says this is one of the worst years he can remember. The moisture attracts sod webworms. 

“They’re attracted to succulent, green, healthy growth. They love a good steak dinner.”

Steaking meaning grass. 

“He’s eaten every glass blade completely off of it right down to the crown.”

Fungus is also a result of rain and clouds, soaking soil with no sun to dry it out. Garrett says in this weather, homeowners must find ways to get more sun.

“Thinning out the canopies of trees, maybe bringing the branches up, anything to promote more wind circulation getting through the property.”

If you already have sod webworms, insecticide should do the trick as long as it’s done at least a half hour before rain comes again and washes it away.

“The bugs are taking over, the web worms are taking over. It's never going to be perfect like you're thinking, you know beautiful lawn,” said Marienthal.

The worst case scenario is you might have to re-sod at least part of your lawn. That's why lawn care specialists say pay close attention to what's going on, on your lawn.