ARMY WORMS

ARMY WORMS!

Over the last couple days, we have had numerous reports of spots suddenly appearing in lawns and then the grass dying off. Upon inspection we have found the culprit, army worms.  Army worms are not normally an issue in Cincinnati but this year they are.  They are a serious problem as they can devastate a lawn very quickly.  Please call us for a free inspection if you think you may have army worms in your lawn. 

Army worms are the larvae stage of the Army Moth.  When in larvae form, they feed on turfgrass, specifically Rye Grass, Fescue and Bluegrass.  They wrap their body around a grass blade and begin chewing through the grass blade.  The top of the grass blade falls off, dies and dries out giving the damaged area a dried out brownish or white appearance. They are devastating insects for lawns as they can kill off a football field worth of grass within 48 hours. They were named army worms by farmers long ago because they look like an army as they would eat their way across crops. They go from egg stage to fully mature adult within 28 days. They do not overwinter in this part of the country, as soon as the first frost arrives, they will begin to die off. 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Any brownish or whitish area with loose dead grass.  Look at the edges of the damaged area as they have probably moved on to healthy grass. If you see a single worm, there are many that you cannot see, and your lawn needs to be treated. 

We can provide an inexpensive treatment that will eradicate them along with other surface insects for approximately 30 days. Please call the office if you suspect you have army worms. 

Lawn damage from army worms in Ivy trails (Anderson Township – Cincinnati)