The armyworms can quickly destroy crops and lawns. Reuters
The armyworm can make a green, lush lawn turn brown in a matter of hours.
Some lawn-care businesses are having trouble dealing with the large number of pests.
Climate change is likely to be the reason that the worm is spreading to other areas.
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David Bender works with lawns infested by armyworms. It almost seems like the grass is rippling in waves.
They eat the entire lawn. "It turns a green, plush lawn into a brown, mushy grass in hours and days," Bender of Weeded said. Lawn Service, said. They are gross, I think. They are just marching through the property, destroying everything.
Although Bender has been in Richmond, Virginia for over 20 years, he hadn't dealt with armyworms until last week. As a flood of customers call him for assistance with armyworms invading their lawns, Bender and his staff are now scrambling to meet the demands.
Bender stated that it can cost clients hundreds of dollars for the pests to be removed and their lawns reseeded. Similar situations were faced by other companies in the region. One asked prospective customers to email rather than call, as the company's voicemail was flooded with inquiries about armyworms.
Infestations usually begin with brown or bare patches on a lawn before spreading to other areas.
-Wes Ory Lawn coach (@HeritageLawnsKC), August 11, 2021
"The damage to the lawn shown was done in a span of TWO days!" Wes Ory, owner of Heritage Lawns and Irrigation Kansas City, sent a tweet along with a picture of a yellowish-brown yard.
Although armyworms are a common pest of crop fields and lawns in the Southeast, Terri Billeisen, an North Carolina State University entomologist, suggested that the spread of the pests to the Northeast and Midwest could be related to warmer climates.
Billeisen stated that worms love finer grasses such as bermuda or fescue. These are the most commonly used grass types for lawns. The average length of an armyworm is 1.5 inches. They are dark green or black with yellow heads.
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Rick Brandenburg, an entomologist from North Carolina State University, said that they love lush green turf and are therefore irrigated with fertilized warm-season turfgrass like hybrid bermuda. They are almost impossible to stop.
Jeff Herman is the editor-in-chief at LawnStarter. He said that although armyworms can be a nuisance to clients, they aren't more of a problem this year than in previous years.
Herman stated that armyworm infestations have been a problem for people as long as there has been grass.
If you suspect you may have an armyworm problem, here are some things to do.
Combine soap and water, and sprinkle the mixture on a small area of your yard. The caterpillars will soon rise to the surface if your yard is infested.
You should be on the lookout for brown spots, tips of grass blades that are missing, and birds flying around your lawn.
Use a liquid insecticide to target pests as they are small. These can be purchased online or at garden centers.
Are you a lawn-care professional or have you had to deal with armyworms on your lawn? Send an email to hschlitz@insider.com with your thoughts about this story
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