Why would you want to know whether a turf grass insect is a surface feeder or a subsurface feeder?

• A. Because it determines mowing height
• B. Because it is unrelated to controls
• C. Because the chemical and biological controls are different
• D. Because surface feeders are always beneficial

Answer: (C)

Where the insect feeds determines how you can effectively control it. If it’s a surface feeder, feeding on the turf canopy, the pest is most exposed to foliar sprays or systemic products that move into the leaves. If it’s a subsurface feeder, feeding in the roots or thatch below the surface, soil-applied products, soil drenches, granules, or biological controls that act in the soil—such as beneficial nematodes—are needed. Because the pest’s location inside the plant-soil system dictates what products and application methods reach it, the chemical and biological controls you use will be different. Mowing height or other factors aren’t the primary driver here, and surface feeders aren’t inherently beneficial.