Armyworms take over lawns every fall, but the infestations seem worse this year after the wettest September on record for Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
The green and brown insects are about 1 to 1.5 inches long and can be identified by an upside down Y on their heads, according to Daniel Cunningham, a horticulturist and project manager with Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Armyworms move in troops—like an army—and can consume more than 80 plant species, he said.
Although armyworms mainly pose a threat to fertilized fields and pastures, Cunningham said they can also create problems for homeowners by feeding on turf-grass species including Bermuda grass, and adjacent landscape plants and weeds.
“Even though they can do quite a bit of aesthetic damage, lawns are pretty quick to recover because the pests really only target the lush top growth, leaving the more important growing tissue to recover,” Cunningham said.
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