Be informed and ready for ...., ARMY WORMS!

E

early riser

Guest
Several posts have already been made about army worms, but I thought a quick post and some information about them may ready some of us for what may be coming down the road to our food plot plantings.

I have a bottle of malathion at camp, and some spectracide concentrate ready for what might happen, but am thinking I may pick up an extra bottle or two of spray should we have an outbreak of army worms again this year. At least the chemicals will already be at camp should we need them and we won't have to run out looking for chemicals should we have these bad worms turn up again this year! I know several of us had a few bouts with army worms last year, so BE READY!

The weekend before Labor Day I noticed the worms had taken to defoliating several of our Saw Tooth Oaks at Crabapple, and I mixed up a gallon tank of spray and hit them with it.

Everyone may want to pay particular attention to your young plots in the coming week or two because the night time temps are starting to get cooler and this is the "PRIME TIME" for ARMY WORMS!!!

http://www.walterreeves.com/insects_animals/article.phtml?cat=21&id=37

"The insecticides Dursban, Sevin and Bacillus thuringensis are recommended. Spray at night, when the caterpillars are feeding.Fall armyworms rarely kill grass but some lawns may be severely weakened. If you suspect fall armyworms but can not find the caterpillars on the grass, use a soap flush to bring them to the surface. Feeding damage, coupled with damage from the recent drought, may justify applying insecticides. Experts say 5 or more caterpillars per square foot in turf might be a reasonable treatment threshold.

Carbaryl (Sevin), deltamethrin, permethrin and other insecticides are effective caterpillar killers. Products containing B.t. are effective only on small (1/2 inch or less) worms. Treat in late afternoon, when the caterpillars are likely to begin feeding."

http://www.tulsamastergardeners.org/insects/armyworm.shtml

"Wheat: Rank or dense fields of grasses or wheat are the common infestation sites for true armyworms. Scouting for true armyworms is best done at night or during early morning hours since armyworm larvae are mainly nocturnal feeders. They usually remain hidden on bright, sunny days. Producers should beginning scouting their wheat fields for this pest from mid-April until harvest. Take note of larval sizes, percent parasitism and the insect’s ‘pepper-like’ droppings on the ground".

http://www.ipm.missouri.edu/armyworms.htm

Wheat: "Insecticide treatment is warranted when an average of four or more non-parasitized, half-grown or larger true armyworm larvae per square foot are present during late spring and before two to three percent of the heads are cut from the plants. Parasitic flies commonly attack true armyworm larvae, and the flies’ small, oval, yellowish eggs are laid on the larva’s body and/or behind its head. The probability of yield loss increases when larvae destroy the flag leaf and before the plants complete the soft dough stage. Insecticides should be applied late in the afternoon to maximize larval exposure to insecticides."

http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/subjects/CornPests/armyworm.htm

Some of the information pertains to spring army worms, but the damage, confirmations, control & killing methods are the same for both spring and fall worm infestations.

early riser
 
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DoDahDaze

Senior Member
I loved this part of the story on army worm wine. "Who will get those bottles?

"Very special people," Reigstad said. "Not necessarily people I like, but they'll be special in their own way."

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
 

CAL

Senior Member
May I say a few words about army worms.Not many people know how to check for them.If you wait till they are visible sometimes thats too late.One of the best signs is birds in the field.They are feeding on them.Another way and the way I use is to set down and take your hand and slap the foliage in one area.Slap left to right and swap hands and slap right to left.After this push back the foliage and look close.If they are in the wire stage they are very hard to detect.Also remember when you spray you will be killing off not only army worms.You will also kill all of your beneficial insects and then you are at their mercy.The next hatching will be along soon!
One year they were so bad they ate up the grass in the yard!.
 
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smitty

Senior Member
Army Worms!

Thanks as always ER for the info!Your wife was in our prayers at church today! ::;
 

FootLongDawg

Senior Member
I always heard if army worms hit your plot, just plan on replanting. How do these critters travel? Seems someone told me one time they decend down from the atmosphere. Also how long do they live? Knock on wood, we have never had them, and I never want to have to deal with them. ::huh:
 
E

early riser

Guest
FootLongDawg said:
I always heard if army worms hit your plot, just plan on replanting. How do these critters travel? Seems someone told me one time they decend down from the atmosphere. Also how long do they live? Knock on wood, we have never had them, and I never want to have to deal with them. ::huh:

FootLongDawg, They come from eggs laid by moths. Seems the more damp and cooler weather is prime time for these pests. We had them one year and I thought they were going to completely clean the container plots closest to camp at one point. We even over seeded again with additional rape seed to try to make sure we had something coming in after they had eaten their initial fill, but if they aren't more than 4 or 5 worms per square ft, they say the field can come back from the devistation ::huh:. I certainly don't want them again, but I know they are out there again this year because I saw them on some of our Sawtooth Oaks Labor day weekend. Hopefully they won't move into the fields in abudance. They can crawl from place to place like an army, that's where they get their names. NASTY BUGS!

early riser
 
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