There could be troops invading your Memphis or North Mississippi lawn right now … but you might not even hear them marching in.
In fact, you might notice the damage they do to your home lawn before you see them. We’re talking, of course, about armyworms. And they have a mission as part of their takeover. In fact, they're after one thing: your lawn.
Armyworms get their name from how they move across your lawn in an army-like fashion – leaving dead grass in their wake. Not something anyone wants to see in their lawn.
Let’s learn more about this troop of invaders, armyworm prevention strategies, armyworm damage in lawns, and armyworm control in Memphis and North Mississippi.
No one wants insects chewing up their lawn.
But learning a bit about armyworm prevention and armyworm treatments can empower you with some knowledge that can help you better control these pests and keep them at bay.
Fall armyworms usually infest lawns in southern and transition zone states, making Memphis and North Mississippi ideal locations for them to attack.
What do fall armyworms look like? Their larvae are 1-inch to 1.5-inches long and dark greenish-brown to black with long, white, orange, and dark brown stripes along the abdomen.
The adult moths have 1-inch long bodies with a 1.5-inch wingspan, a tan body and a tiny white spot centered on each of their forewings.
Early feeding damage by fall armyworms looks like drought-stressed grass, but if there are a lot of these pests present, it can quickly progress to complete browning.
Look closely and you’ll see ragged holes in your individual grass blades. Grass may be eaten down to the ground, creating these brown patches.
Another sign of armyworms includes a lacy or transparent effect on your grass blades where they have been chewed.
Armyworms prefer new sod or newly seeded grass.
Adult armyworms usually lay eggs on flat leaves of trees and flowers or even on patio furniture and light posts. This might be another key to identifying fall armyworms in your yard. They come into your space by catching a ride on air currents and then dropping down to settle in.
Each female can lay egg masses containing between 100 and 500 or more armyworm eggs. The eggs hatch five to seven days later. The fall armyworm larvae are what eat their way through your lawn.
If you’re in an area of Memphis or North Mississippi suspected of having fall armyworms, look for sticky egg masses to appear on buildings, patio sets, decor, plants, and other outdoor surfaces.
That’s when you can get ahead of fall armyworms, which is the best way to avoid their damage. Armyworm control can happen with an insecticide treatment. But since armyworms can have multiple generations per year, you may need multiple applications per year to keep these pests at bay.
If armyworms have come through and destroyed your lawn in Memphis and North Mississippi, you may wonder how to get your great, green lawn back.
If fall armyworms feed on the upper portion of your grass blades, they might recover on their own with proper care.
But if an infestation is severe, reseeding or resodding areas to reestablish the lawn is necessary. This is because the feeding is like mowing your lawn too short, removing way too much of the plant at once to the point where it can’t survive the shock.
Fall armyworms in grass are pests that start coming into lawns in July and linger through August and September. Once the weather gets hot, you want to stay on top of these pests to avoid severe lawn damage.
But if you’re not sure if what you’re noticing in your lawn is armyworm damage or you’d like to confirm your findings, give Lawn & Pest Solutions a call. We’d love to help you with armyworm control in Memphis and North Mississippi. Our experts are trained to spot this pest and get rid of it before it does too much damage to your lawn.
Ready to stop the armyworms in your Memphis and North Mississippi lawn? Request a free quote today. We’ll review our options together so you can make the best choice for you. Then you can sit back and enjoy your yard – worry free!
Image Source | Armyworm