It Doesn't Take an Army to Fend off Army Worms!

Armyworms are running rampant this time of year. If your lawn appears to be dry and thinning, you could have armyworms... and the damage could get considerably worse very quickly. The worms prefer fescue lawns and will then move into hybrid Bermudagrasses, saving zoysiagrasses for last. Fescue lawns can be wiped out in a day, and the damage is severe. If you think you have them, look down onto a thinning area of lawn for the worms. They are about an inch and a half long and like to climb to the tip of the grass plant and work their way down. They have an inverted "Y" on their face. Fortunately, armyworms are easy to control with Sevin Insecticide. It can be applied with a fertilizer spreader, and it should be very effective for control. Because the armyworms are here so early this year, I suggest that you go ahead and buy some Sevin and be ready to apply as soon as you see them. Or, tell your lawn contractor to go ahead and apply an insecticide for them. As an advance indicator, watch for the armyworm moths flying around your lawn at night as your car headlights shine across your lawn. At my house, there are so many that it looks like a light snow. This is a dead giveaway that they are laying eggs which soon will hatch into the voracious eating larvae