Army Worm Invasion

Wise County Ag. Producers and homeowners should be checking their small grain and coastal bermuda grass pastures, and home landscapes for armyworm invasions.  The recent rains in the area encouraged growth of bermuda grass and weeds, making it very attractive for the egg-laying moths and hungry armyworm larvae. It is usually this time of year that I start getting reports about armyworm outbreaks.  Producers and homeowners should be checking pastures and landscapes on a regular basis. In addition to feeding on coastal pastures, they can also be a major problem in home lawns, so be on the lookout. If you sense that you have a problem, but aren’t sure, give me a call at the Extension office and I’ll be glad to help.

             The fall armyworm is the most common species we hear about, whereas the true armyworm occurs in the spring which is what we are facing now. The armyworm moth has a wing span of about 1 ½ inches and is dark grey with white markings on the wings.  Eggs are laid in masses of 50 to several hundred on grass leaves. Egg masses are covered with grey scales from the female’s body.  Eggs hatch in about 3-5 days. Larvae vary in color from pale green to almost black.  The life cycle from egg to adult requires about 4 weeks, depending upon temperature.

            The armyworm is attacked by several species of parasitic wasps and flies which help keep armyworm numbers low.  These beneficials are apparently less effective during cool, rainy weather, allowing armyworms to increase. Also, armyworm moths can fly long distance and quickly increase before natural enemies can “catch up”. The result is an armyworm outbreak. Generally, 3-4 armyworms per square foot warrant treatment depending upon crop condition. Young worms are more susceptible to insecticides. It is estimated that 80 percent of the crop damage occurs in the last 3-4 days of the army worm’s life. For this reason, damage seems to occur almost overnight. Sevin 80S, Sevin XLR , Lorsban and Mustang Max are just a few insecticides labeled for controlling  armyworms.  Some products do have a waiting period from application to harvest so be sure to read and follow the directions on the label. 

            Please check out our Wise County, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/TX.agrilife.wise.county  for additional information and facts about the armyworm and a full list of insecticides available for control in pastures and landscapes.

            

 Here is a great link for homeowners called

Armyworms in Turfgrass   http://agrilife.org/citybugs/factsheets/landscape/lawns/ent-1007/