Managing Armyworms: A Balanced Approach to Lawn Care and Pest Control
Armyworms are making their presence known this season, and it's likely we'll see multiple cycles of these pests before the year is out. While the sight of your lawn stripped bare by thousands of these invaders can be alarming, it's important to remember that they do not kill your grass. Though they may scalp your lawn, leaving it looking worse for wear, your grass will recover with the right care.
How To Identify Army Worms
Armyworms are easily recognized by their green, brown, or black coloring, with distinctive white or yellow stripes along their sides. As they mature, they develop an inverted Y-shaped marking on their heads, making them even easier to identify. These pests can grow up to 1.5 inches long and tend to feed in large groups, which is how they earned their name. They are most active during the late evening and early morning, making them harder to spot during the day. You'll likely notice their activity ramping up in the late summer and early fall.
The Life Cycle of Army Worms
Understanding the life cycle of the fall armyworm is key to managing its impact on your lawn. These pests are particularly tenacious, laying eggs in hard-to-reach places like nearby woods, under the eaves of gutters, and other areas we don’t typically spray. They can travel vast distances in a single night, with heavy rains helping to carry them even further. The fall armyworm progresses through four main stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult moth. Female moths lay clusters of 100-200 small, white eggs on the undersides of leaves, grass blades, or other surfaces, which hatch within 2-3 days depending on temperature and humidity. The larval stage, lasting about 14-21 days, is the most destructive phase, as the caterpillars consume large amounts of vegetation, often stripping leaves down to the stems. Large infestations can devastate a lawn in just a few days. After this, the caterpillars burrow into the soil to pupate, forming a cocoon where they undergo transformation into adult moths over 7-10 days. Once they emerge, adult moths mate and lay eggs, continuing the cycle. While armyworms can leave your lawn looking worse for wear, it’s important to remember that your grass will recover with the right care.
This situation raises an important discussion about pest management. It's crucial to understand that we can not completely control Mother Nature. Throughout history, humanity has tried—and often failed—to tame the forces of nature, no matter how much effort or resources we invest. While we can't completely control nature, we can manage its impact. For example, even if we pave a parking lot to control weeds, they will still find a way to pop up in cracks. Similarly, while we can reduce the number of armyworms in your lawn, we cannot guarantee complete control.
To truly control armyworms, you would need a service stationed at your lawn at all times throughout their entire lifecycle—a solution that would be prohibitively expensive and environmentally unsustainable. Our approach is based on regular visits every 6 to 10 weeks, and we apply insecticides responsibly, considering environmental concerns. At Cold Creek Nurseries, we believe in being good stewards of the environment, ensuring that our practices benefit everyone.
The Impact of Storms and Hurricanes
Storms and hurricanes can significantly contribute to the spread and intensity of armyworm infestations. Strong winds, particularly during hurricanes, can carry armyworms like the Fall Armyworm over long distances, introducing these pests to new regions that were previously unaffected. The heavy rains accompanying storms also create the perfect environment for armyworms to thrive, as wet and humid conditions are ideal for egg hatching and larval development, which can lead to an outbreak. Additionally, turf that has been stressed or damaged by storms is more susceptible to infestations. The flooding, debris, and other storm-related damage weaken the grass, making it easier for armyworms to establish themselves and cause further harm.
What to Look For
Armyworms can inflict severe damage to your turf in a short period, so it's crucial to recognize the symptoms early. One of the most noticeable signs is the appearance of irregular brown patches in your lawn, caused by larvae feeding on the grass blades and leaving behind chewed-up, brown areas. As the feeding continues, these affected areas may thin out, giving your lawn a patchy look, and in severe cases, the turf may appear scalped. The rapid pace at which armyworms can destroy a lawn is alarming; a healthy patch of turf can be reduced to bare soil within just a few days during a large infestation. Additionally, an unusual increase in bird activity on your lawn could indicate the presence of armyworms, as birds often feed on these pests. In some instances, you may even spot the worms themselves crawling on the turf, particularly during the early morning or late evening when they are most active.
Cold Creek Nurseries Can Help
Our service focuses on managing the damage and impact of armyworms once they are identified as a problem. We can spray for them and implement a recovery plan to help your lawn bounce back.
We deeply appreciate your business and the opportunity to support our employees and their families. We are committed to providing the best possible service, continually learning and training to improve our approach. However, even with the best intentions, we cannot control nature entirely. Success in managing your property requires collaboration between us and you, our valued customer.
