Looks like Bahia Grass. If you have centipede sod, you can use Vantage to get rid of it. Be sure to read the label and have your mixture correct before you spray. http://www.amazon.com/Vantage-Grass-Killer-Herbicide-Pint/dp/B0053C9AYW

Milkweed bugs - ugh! I mix up a container (cool whip size) with a mixture of Kirk's Castille soap with hot water and then go to each plant and knock them in the water. It kills them quickly. You have to do it continually and really try to get them when they are clustered around the stems. You can also spray the plants but then you have to rinse the plants well or the Monarchs won't lay on them. I do find that they don't like the Silky gold milkweed as much - that's the milkweed that has completely yellow flowers. The Monarchs really like it so if you can find it - which isn't easy to do - try it. Aphids you can spray off with a strong stream of water but that even can hurt the plant. I don't bother with them but the MW bugs do damage the stems of the plant. You will find little black places where they have eaten into it. I usually take a bar of the soap, which I get at Publix, and put it in a container with hot water. Let it sit and get the water kinda slimy then pour that into a gallon jug. Add hot water to that, shake gently so that you don't get too much suds then use that in your cool whip container.

Hi Chief. You're going to have to decide to stop reading everything and focus on one thing. If you pick this place, I can guarantee success (or dinner is on us). Of course you have to do all the work, but we have a low hassle approach that seems to withstand the tests of time. Even your wife will be able to relax and let the bejeezus settle back into the lawn until next time. Here's the simple deal... Watering - the mantra for mature turf, like yours will be sometime late next spring, is to water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means 1 full inch all at one time. This deep watering allows the water to penetrate deeper into the soil where all kinds of biological magic happen with the roots and the soil microbes. Infrequent means once per week when the temps are in the 90s, once every 2 weeks with temps in the 80s, once every 3 weeks with temps in the 70s, and once a month with temps cooler than 70s. So what does that mean for between now and June? If you had mature grass it would mean you almost never water until April. Then you water once. If it gets into the 70s, move to once every 3 weeks. You will be gradually increasing the watering frequency as the temps warm. What this does is withhold water at the surface so your grass will develop deep, drought resistant roots. It also withholds surface moisture from the weed seeds which need daily water for a few days to germinate. So simply by proper watering you're doing your grass a favor and fighting weeds at the same time. Mowing - mulch mow every week at your mower's highest setting or one notch lower. Tall fescue grows much deeper roots which leads to healthier grass all summer. If you need to overseed next fall you can lower the deck for that. Fertilizer - once in the late spring, once in the early fall, and once in the late fall. If you can remember Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving, you're good to go. DO NOT BE TEMPTED by the TV ads early in the spring to get out there and start spreading fertilizer or weed n feed. If you need an herbicide, it is much better to spot spray individual weeds with Weed-B-Gone rather than spreading stuff all over everywhere. And if you use a fertilizer in the early spring, the grass will be suffering by late spring and you'll be tempted to over apply fertilizer in May. I would make at least one of your annual fertilizer apps an organic fertilizer. Yes, they are real fertilizer. I'm talking about fertilizer and not about peat moss, compost, or manure. Real fertilizer. If you want to know more about organic fertilizer, just ask. I've been all organic since 2002 and many others here can help you. This is not your daddy's organic fertilizer any more. You should not need to aerate. You read about it all the time in magazines and news papers, and you hear about it from just about everyone, but there's no solid need for it. If you have hard soil after it rains, then we can discuss something else that works much faster and better than aerating. The crabgrass will die. Other weeds can be attacked with Weed-B-Gone or Weed-B-Gone Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis killer (stronger solution for special weeds). Again, spot spray the broadleaf weeds. Ignore the crabgrass.

The RoundUp or other commercial herbicide will NOT harm your dog!! Or the neighbors' dog!! If you fertilize your lawn, your are very likely causing your pets more problems than any herbicide would. Just allow the herbicide a couple of hours to dry on the weeds before allowing the dog free rein in the yard Vinegar does not effectively "kill" weeds - all it does is cause desiccation of the foliage, leaving any roots still healthy and intact. To actually kill the the weeds, you need a commercial herbicide that will translocate down into the root system. Vinegar and all other homemade concoctions will not do that.