Armyworms

[Bigfoot62]

Anyone having trouble with Armyworms yet?

Late June, they were in a neighbor's meadow just 1/4 mile away from my place. Last week they ate 20 acres of Alicia that's 1/2 mile away.
So far, I haven't seen any in my Coastal patch. (I have just a few acres of Coastal Bermuda, the rest of mine is Bahaia) But, I have a mower hooked up and I'm ready to cut that 12 acres if I have to. I'd rather wait about another few days and hope the weather improves before I cut it, but I'd rather take a chance on getting it wet than letting the worms eat it.

 

[PMA]

I was sick with stomach virus last week and didn't get out, when I did get out army worms had eaten 10 acres of coastal. Cow birds got full. Oh well.

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[Lineman North Florida]

Had army worms get in a field of coastal back in early July, but caught them early and sprayed so no issue with them, now we are dealing with stem maggots and I am told that there is nothing you can do about them.

 

[5030]

Glad I don't live down there. We get potato Leaf Hoppers in alfalfa but they are treatable with pesticide.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Glad I don't live down there. We get potato Leaf Hoppers in alfalfa but they are treatable with pesticide.

Every area has its pests. Armyworms are treatable with pesticide as well.
The problems with treating for armyworms are:
1) Cost of pesticide. (Liquid Sevin is about $350 for 5 gallons)
2) Did you catch them in time that the hay you save is worth the cost of spraying?
3) You only kill the worms that are hatched. If another bunch of moths lay another bunch of eggs a few days later, you have the same problem all over again. (I've known of farmers that sprayed 3 or 4 times in one season)

My preferred method of dealing with them is just to cut it as soon as I find worms. I can't tell you why, but they won't eat it once it's cut. Without the food source, the worms won't grow, pupate and repeat the cycle.

 

[RichZ]

Wow, Bigfoot, thanks for that method of control!! I've never had army worms and hope I never do. But one of many reasons that I grow my own hay is that I prefer it to be not treated with chemicals. I know army wOrms can devastate hayfields, so if it ever happens, I'll cut the hay, as soon as I see them.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Rich,
I don't know if the armyworms want anything you have up there. JK.
Down here, the only grasses that they eat are the Bermuda varieties. We have lots more Bahaia grass, but they don't eat it. They will, however, eat some grain crops. I've had them in my millet before.

What's scary is that we first noticed them here in June. Typically, they don't get started until August or September. That could be a sign that we're in for a bad worm season.

 

[Tx Jim]

When Army worms invade small grains such as wheat or oats they kill the plant similar to spraying with Glyphosate.

 

[Texasmark]

Up here in N. TX. no worms. Been over 10 years since any. But the last few years the bag worms have been bad on the cedar trees that protect my house and yard and hoppers are really thick. Somewhere on the www I read that a hopper will eat 1.5x body weight per day. These are yellow and about 1.5" long. In areas where I don't want them and to control the bag worms, the multipurpose sprays that HD and Lowes gets them. They haven't eaten any hay patches to speak of as yet.

Mark

 

[Bigfoot62]

They're BACK!

Two of my neighbors (also cousins) have worms in the hay meadows again. One spot, about 1/2 acre, in the middle of a large meadow, was eaten down to the stems.
I couldn't stand it. I cut my Coastal patch and helped cut theirs too. We may get it wet, but at least the worms won't get it all.