Fall Armyworms: How to Identify, Prevent, & Treat Lawn Damage
Hello, again!
After being away for a week in Colorado, it's interesting to see how much a landscape can change in just a few short days. My annuals and herbs have all grown. I'm finally getting an abundance of tomatoes and peppers in the garden. My lawn also looks pretty good except for where some moles decided to take up residence. So far, we haven't needed an abundance of additional watering this summer; however, many others have seen drought stress.
The newest issue damaging lawns in Wichita and regionally is fall armyworms. These destructive pests can quickly decimate lawns, landscape, and vegetable gardens if not treated promptly. Understanding their life cycle, the damage they cause, and effective control options, like ferti•lome Spinosad, Bug Blaster RTS, and Turf Ranger, can help prevent widespread destruction.
Fall armyworms are the larval stage of a moth (Spodoptera frugiperda), not true worms. The adult moths fly up from the south each summer, often arriving in Kansas in mid- to late-summer, but this year, they've appeared earlier due to favorable conditions. The larvae, which look like striped caterpillars with an inverted "Y" on their heads, are the real problem. They can be green, brown, or black and grow up to 1.5 inches long.
Fall armyworms feed primarily on grass blades, but they're not picky. They attack fescue, bluegrass, bermudagrass, ryegrass, and zoysia lawns, as well as other plants. Damage often begins subtly — thinned patches, ragged blades, or brown areas — but can escalate fast. A heavy infestation can strip a lawn bare almost overnight, giving the appearance of drought damage.
Look for active feeding in the early morning or late afternoon. If you suspect them, part the grass and look for the larvae crawling just below the thatch.
Whatever the condition of your lawn is, fall is the perfect time to not only rejuvenate your turf, but also build your 'ecosystem' for the future. One of the best tools to build soil structure in both turf and landscape areas is HuMic acid from ferti•lome. HuMic is a natural compound derived from decaying plant material that provides essential organic compounds to improve soil structure and plant growth, and helps break down thatch caused by insect pressure and disease.
If you need to renovate your turf, now is a perfect time to start by removing unwanted weeds and grasses with an herbicide such as Hi-Yield Killzall, which kills weeds down to the roots. Killzall Weed & Grass Killer is a non-selective weed and grass killer, making it perfect for killing off tough-to-remove weeds and grasses before lawn re-seeding. However, it is important to keep it off desirable plants, grasses, and vegetation. The ultra formula with surfactant dries quickly and is rainfast in as little as two hours.
Hatch Green Chile season will be in full swing next week! We are getting set up to start roasting at both stores as soon as the chiles arrive. Follow us on social media to be the first to know when we fire up the roasters. If you are in the Emporia area, we will be roasting chile at Radius Brewing's Hatch & Hops Hatch Green Chile Festival on August 15th. You can also find us roasting at the Old Town Farmers Market on Saturday, August 22nd. You can still lock in last year's prices by pre-ordering your chiles online today.
Whether you're working on your lawn or hankering for roasted green chile, we hope to see you soon!
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
