Hello Members of The Thornapple Association –
We were provided time sensitive information related to the growing infestation of Armyworms from Five Seasons Landscape (one of our service providers) and wanted to pass this along.
| “We have recently seen an unanticipated infestation of Fall Armyworms in central Ohio. This armyworm is native to southern parts of the country but has migrated its way north due to some of the large summer Gulf storms we have experienced across our area.
The Fall Armyworm is different than the common Armyworm that is native to Ohio, which mostly causes damage in the spring to cereal crops such as wheat. We have seen lawns get devoured in just a few days once the Fall Armyworm larva starts to infest an area. Fall Armyworms feed on a range of plants, but they prefer turf, especially Bermudagrass, Fescues, Ryegrass, Bentgrass and Bluegrass. With all the rain that has fallen this year, most lawns are covered with lush green grass, and that has resulted in large populations of fall armyworms moving across lawns in a mass, devouring what seems to be every blade of grass. Insecticides may need to be utilized to control large populations of Fall Armyworms from causing catastrophic damage to turf areas. Even if you have received an insect/grub application this year from Five Seasons Landscape, you may need to have an additional application of insecticide applied to control the infestation of this insect. Fortunately, the Fall Armyworm only feeds on the upper portion(leaf) of the grass plant, so many times the plant will recover on its own. It is important to keep the crown of the grass plant moist during this recovery period by supplemental watering/irrigation. Also, an application of fertilizer can help the turf recover faster if there is adequate moisture, by providing nutrients to encourage new leaf growth. Your brown lawn may look bad for a couple of weeks, but in most cases the turf will recover with proper care.” For more information, contact Five Seasons Landscape | www.fiveseasonslandscape.com |