Which insect is categorized as a nuisance pest?

Ants are categorized as nuisance pests primarily because they are not known to cause significant damage to turfgrass and often inhabit areas where they may be more bothersome than harmful. While they can sometimes disrupt soil structure or serve as a nuisance when they invade homes or workplaces, their presence in a lawn does not typically lead to serious agronomic concerns or the impairment of turf health.

In contrast, other insects listed, such as chinch bugs, sod webworms, and armyworms, are known for their destructive feeding habits that can lead to significant damage to cool-season grasses. Chinch bugs, for example, can cause brown patches and dead areas in lawns by sucking sap from grass plants. Sod webworms and armyworms are also harmful as their larvae feed on the leaves, potentially resulting in substantial turf decline. Therefore, ants stand out as being less of a direct threat to the health of turfgrass, which is why they are classified as nuisance pests rather than key damaging pests.