Southern Homes & Gardens Blog

They’re baaack!  It’s time to start scouting out your gardens and lawns for the dreaded armyworms – there have been several reports of them and it looks like they might pose a problem again this year.   However, just because they’ve come back doesn’t mean you have to wave a white flag in surrender – simply follow these tips to defeat them.

•  Know what you’re looking for. Armyworms are 1 1/2 inch caterpillars that are pale green when first hatched but then change to olive green with a white stripe later in the season. They turn into moths that are gray-brown with a white dot on the wing.  It’s easiest to detect them on foliage in the early morning or late afternoon.

Typical armyworm

• Fall armyworms caterpillars will feed on almost all forage grasses and up to 100 additional plant species, as well as corn and cotton (bad news for farmers!).  Homeowners will typically see them in the lawn and veggie gardens (they looove tomatoes).

Corn damage from armyworms

• Rake up fallen leaf debris to eliminate daytime hiding places for armyworms.  If you have a heavy infestation, look for droppings on the ground beneath your plants as well as brown patches in the yard where they are eating all of the green tissue off the grass – right down to the roots.

Rake 'em up!

• Encourage hungry birds to visit your garden to help control armyworms by setting out feeders, birdbaths or nesting material in the area where the worms are feeding.

Build it and they will come

• Attract predatory wasps that will control armyworms by planting dill, fennel, coreopsis and brightly colored flowers near the armyworm-prone plants.

Drive 'em crazy with dill

• Treat Fall armyworms when they’re small – about half to 1 inch long.  Detecting infestations when caterpillars are small gives more time for control measures to be implemented.

• Spray Bacillus thuringiensis, an organic control for caterpillars, in the late afternoon or early evening hours when you see the first signs of armyworm damage in your garden. Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt) is actually a bacteria and is safe to use around children and pets. There are also numerous chemical sprays available to control armyworms – we recommend Liquid Sevin, which you can attach right to the end of your hose for easy application.

Ready-to-use for easy application

•  Spray during the dormant season (winter) with a dormant-season oil spray to head off recurring infestations – armyworm eggs may overwinter in fallen debris. This is a good preventative measure.

Should you continue to have issues or problems, never hesitate to give us a call…we’re always happy to help!