Armyworms attack local lawns

Some area homeowners have been upset to find their lawns suddenly looking dead. The culprit is likely the fall armyworm, brought to the area with storms coming from the south, said Ed Lentz, Ohio State University Extension-Hancock County educator for agriculture and natural resources. "It literally looks like something has come in there and just literally sprayed your yard with Roundup," Lentz said. But there is good news: The damaged lawn will likely green back up with some rain in about 30 days, Lentz said. The armyworms did not destroy the lawn. "They didn't eat the whole plant," he said. "They ate the leaf off." If temperatures reach the 90s in the coming weeks — which they are not forecast to do — then it would be wise to water the lawn, Lentz said. He did not recommend using an insecticide on the lawn if it looks to have already been devoured by armyworms. "For me, if my yard has already been damaged, just chewed off, I wouldn't do a thing. It's too late to spray," he said. "They're going to move to a place where they can eat. They've already eaten the good stuff. So they're going to go to a new salad bar." Neighbors of yards that have been devoured by fall armyworms can easily check their lawns during the daytime to see if they have the pest. Fall armyworms can get as long as 1½ inches. Their color and striping can vary, but a telltale sign is the inverted "Y" on its head, Lentz said. Another clue: A sudden incursion of flocks of birds to your yard. Fall armyworms would be good food for the birds. But don't panic if you find a fall armyworm here or there. "Just because they've got one (armyworm) doesn't mean the whole place is affected," Lentz said. "I would say if they've got, like, three to four worms per square foot on average in their yard, they better spray." Look for an insecticide that states on the label it can be used on armyworms, common lawn caterpillars or turf caterpillars, Lentz said. The insecticide must be approved for use on grass. Lentz said to use a liquid insecticide, not a dry one. But if you do not have an armyworm problem, Lentz recommends you not use an insecticide because it will also kill other insects that are beneficial. This season marked Ohio's first large outbreak of fall armyworms, named because they come in a large mass, or army. Armyworms, then in their moth stage, were swept to this state earlier this summer by a storm that came from the south, Lentz said. The fall armyworms that came to Ohio earlier this summer did not cause problems because their population was likely smaller. But they laid enough eggs to ensure the next generation in Ohio would be larger, and that generation is the one that is causing the current problems. Some farmers affected Some hay fields also have been damaged by the fall armyworm. Farmers of alfalfa and overwinter forages should be aware there may be a third generation of the armyworm this fall that could hurt the winter survivability of their plants, Lentz said. Wilin: 419-427-8413