Army Worms

How To Identify Armyworms (And What You Can Do About Them)

Armies of hungry, destructive pests are invading lawns throughout our region, leaving once-green and healthy lawns bare and brown.

It can happen practically overnight.

What to watch for? What to do about it? Let’s take a look.

What Are Armyworms?
Actually, they aren’t worms at all, but striped caterpillars, the larvae of the ordinary-looking brown fall armyworm moth.

The moth survives year-round in warmer climates, from South America to the southern U.S. Each year they invade more northern regions until cold weather zaps them.

How to Identify Armyworms
The worms are 1-1.5 inches long and vary in color from green to brown to black. There’s a wide black stripe running down each side of the body and an upside down Y marking on the head.

If you suddenly notice a lot of birds on your lawn, beware. They may be feasting on a horde of tasty armyworms.

How Do I Get Rid of Armyworms?
Now that you know what you’re dealing with, the most important question remains: how to get rid of them.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so learning to identify armyworm eggs and treat them before they hatch is the ideal proposition. However, most of us lead busy lives, so skulking around the edges of the lawn and checking out the undersides of leaves on bushes isn’t always practical or possible.

If you have discovered an active armyworm infestation, it’s important to treat it before it gets out of hand. There are many over the counter treatments avaiable at your local home and garden centers to use yourself. A majority of the time you will end up with to much or to little product, or even the wrong product. If you choose to treat them on your own please be sure to read the label before applying and make sure your applying the correct amount.

Or simply give us a call and let our trained technicians do all the hard work for you.