At the end of March the rye grass will begin the stages of dying out. Landscapers will lower mower heights and the grass will start to turn yellow while the rye dies out and the Bermuda commences to wake up from its winter dormancy.

This process takes about three weeks until the dead rye is all gone and the Bermuda is up and green. Around the third week Landscapers will fertilize all turf areas to promote the Bermuda and boost it up for the summer.

Pearl scale refers to an insect that can be a problem for Bermuda grass. These insects suck the juices from the plants, usually killing the root. The grass gradually weakens, turns yellow, then brown, thins and dies, and circular patches of dead grass will appear on the lawn. Damage will appear in the fall as the grass is going in to dormancy. These damaged areas will not recover the following spring when the grass begins to grow again.

In Late May and lasting throughout the summer, the majority of females emerge from their pearl scales and lay about a 100 eggs in a waxy coat. In a few days the eggs hatch into crawlers, which attach to grass roots. They secrete a hard, waxy coating that becomes the next generation of ground pearl scale.

There are no chemical control methods that completely rid the lawn of pearl scale. However, there is some evidence that applications of soil acidifiers and or the Merit may help slow the spread of pearl scale. The optimal time to treat with Merit is in late May when the females are emerging.

For more information contact the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.