Those worms you see in your yard are real, and if they’ve been there for at least a week they can do REAL damage.
They’re called ‘army worms’, commonly, and while they’re not dangerous to you or your pets, they can literally destroy your yard in a matter of days.
What are they? Army worms are the larvae of a moth that primarily eat grass blades, but anything that’s green and growing is fair game. An infestation of army worms can actually wipe out your garden, or even a field of crops. Pasture fields are particularly at risk once they get a foothold. They’re light green in color, about 2 inches long, and are distinguished by having green, yellow, or brown stripes down the length of their bodies. See the above photo.
How do you get rid of them? Well, timing is everything. The earlier you notice and do something about it the better chance you have for control. Size of property is an important variant, too. Smaller yards mean you could handle it yourself with an over-the-counter product like Bug-B-Gone (Ortho), or a similar competitive insecticide.
However, most people do not want to handle insecticides so the best option is to call a lawn and landscape professional who has the specific equipment and application experience to handle properties in excess of 10,000 square feet. Ever-Green gets lot of calls during infestations of Army Worms.
Another question is…just how much damage have they done by the time you discover them? Typically, if you find four or five worms per square foot and treat them early the damage will be limited to surface munching without damage to the plant’s crown.
But left untreated, they can actually destroy – kill – your lawn to the point of starting over.
If you’re unsure, give Ever-Green a call and we’ll make an assessment of which stage, and which option, is best for you. And know…the longer you wait the fewer the options.
