- Dodder is a thin, string-like parasitic plant that is yellow, and sometime orange with streaks of purple or red. It blooms numerous small, burr-like flowers that are white, pink or pale yellow. It fruits small paper-thin berries with three to four seeds in each one. Dodder attacks various types of plants other than grass, including alfalfa, flax, clover, potatoes, chrysanthemums, dahlias, English ivy and petunias. Dodder covers its host plant and absorbs all of its moisture and nutrients from peripheral roots.
- Dodder is difficult to eradicate because its seeds become mixed in with the grass seeds that it feeds upon. Watering also helps encourage the spreading of dodder. Once dodder is noticed, it should be pulled up immediately because once it seeds, it becomes nearly impossible to get rid of. Cut the parasitized grass and burn it to prevent further spreading. Herbicides may be necessary for serious infestations.
- Avoid future dodder breakouts by purchasing grass seed from a reputable seed dealer. Sterilize all tools used to remove previous dodder infestations. Dodder spreads when livestock feed on dodder and then defecate the seeds back out into the grass. Keeping the area free of weeds also cuts the chances of a dodder attack.
- Horsehair worms are parasites belonging to the Nematomorpha family. They resemble nematodes but, at four inches or more, are longer, ranging in color from bright yellow to white. They develop in their insect host, ultimately killing it. Any insect is susceptible to becoming the horsehair's host, but the most common are cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers and beetles. Horsehair worms are most common in areas near water and are not harmful to the garden. In fact, horsehair worms are considered beneficial insects because they feed on many harmful insects like grasshoppers, which are hard to control with chemicals and capable of extensive damage.
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