Fall Armyworms | Identification and How to Get Rid

Fall armyworms are common turf pests found in the Southern part of the United States, found infesting during the fall. Knowing the DIY steps on how to get rid of fall armyworms will save the expenses of hiring a pest control firm.

Fall armyworms are known to target crops, vegetables, and gardens, but they will also target and infest turfgrass as a viable food source.

Some lawns and gardens might already have a few armyworms, but populations can spike accompanied by an increase in lawn damage. However, in this article, you discover how to identify and get rid of fall armyworms on your lawn.

Read also: How to Get Rid of Lizards and Geckos

How to Identify Fall Armyworms

In any pest control process, identification is the first step you should take as you can tell what exactly you’re dealing with.

The grasses in your lawn can die for many reasons ranging from fungus to pests, to stress factors.

Fall armyworms are the larvae of certain moths, and the genus spot of tara, they grow to be about 1-1½ inches in length, with brown, green, or black bodies.

Their bodies are strived long ways with recurring pale stripes in the darkest drive down each side.

Fall armyworms have brown to light brown head capsules and their heads often feature a wide shape. Fall armyworms, get their names because they travel in groups as they feed on Turfgrasses.

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When do Fall Armyworms Infest?

This pest activity can be spotted from summer to early fall in years that seem more than average rainfall.

Mostly August or September, you can expect higher fall armyworm counts in the upcoming summer with high activity.

Read also: Army Ants: Facts, Behavior & How to get rid

Signs of Fall Armyworms Infestation

Once fall armyworms start infestations, you’ll notice that patches of discolored or brown grass will start to form.

The longer the infestation goes on, the larger the patches will get. If ignored these patches, they can easily spread two sizes, larger than most residential lawns.

Read also: How to Get Rid of Grub Worms Naturally and With Chemicals

How to Spot

1. Check around your property to confirm their presence and find hot spots of activity.
2. Check your lawn for patches of brown discolored or dying grass.
3. Ideally, you would spot these pageants early but if the patch is large, you might notice that the patch has a clear origin point where eggs could have been laid activity will spread from there as the Fall armyworms march across your lawn.
4. Armyworms are active in the early morning, late evening, and nighttime.
5. During the day, they’ll hide under debris and thatch underneath soil or under plants to coax them into coming out.
6. You can flush them out from hiding by pouring a solution of 1 tablespoon of dishwashing soap and one gallon of water over suspected patches.
7. Pour 1 gallon over 1 square yard at a time. And any fall armyworm should surface within a few minutes.

Read also: Small White Worms In House | Identification & Riddance

How to Get Rid Fall Armyworms

Once you’re done with the signs and identification of fall armyworms, it’s time to apply the treatment.

Don’t begin any pest control treatment without wearing your personal protective equipment, or PPE, and remember to keep all people and pets off the treated areas until dry.

To get rid of fall armyworms in your lawn. You’ll need to use, insecticides labeled for armyworm control like:

1. Bifen L/P granules are a granular insecticide that will need to be watered into the soil.
2. Reclaim IT

We also recommend following up with a broadcast treatment of Reclaim IT, both these products work in contact with the pest.

Now, put these insecticides together, create an effective 1-2 ounce providing both surface and subsurface control. This will effectively eliminate all fall armyworms from all areas of your lawn.

How to Determine the Treatment Area

To start calculating your treatment area square footage by measuring the area is length and width and then multiplying them together.

Use this to determine how much product you will need since you’re treating just the spots you found during your inspection.

Fall armyworms won’t guarantee that they haven’t moved to other areas. You’ll make a broadcast over your entire lawn with both products.

Using Bifen L/P Granules

Begin by applying the Bifen L/P granules with a push of the spreader.

How to Apply

1. To apply the labeled rate of 1.15 pounds of product per 1,000 square feet of the treatment area.
2. Load your spreader with the proper amount of Bifen L/P based on your calculations.
3. Spray evenly distributed throughout your treatment area.
4. Following parallel lines, once across the area, broadcast the other half at a perpendicular angle to cover the area in its entirety.
5. Once you’ve finished your Bifen L/P application, it is important you water your lawn into the soil to reach the terp root zone. Do this with an application of Reclaim IT, it needs to be mixed with water before application.

Using Reclaim IT

Reclaim IT won’t only aid in activating the Bifen L/P granules but will also provide effective control of fall armyworms and other insects.

How to Apply

1. To treat armyworms with Reclaim IT.
2. Use the labeled rate of 0.18- 2.25 fluid ounces of Reclaim IT per thousand square feet of the treatment area.
3. If your property is seeing heavy activity from fall armyworms, you can use a rate as high as 1 fluid ounce of Reclaim IT per 1,000 square feet.
4. We recommend using a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer since you’ll make broad applications throughout the entire lawn.
5. And you’ll want to use enough water to push the Bifen L/P granules down into the soil.

For Turf Areas:

To treat isolated areas of turf, you may also use a 1-gallon hand sprayer or use the 20-gallon hose-end sprayer.

1. To use, remove the reservoir from the nozzle.
2. Make sure the sprayers control valve and your water pump are off.
3. Then attach the nozzle to the hose at the proper amount of Reclaim IT.
4. Then fill the reservoir with enough water to treat the entire lawn to make sure you thoroughly coat the area and water in the fan granules.
5. At least two gallons of water per 1,000 square feet of the treatment area.
6. Turn the water on to spray.
7. To kill fall armyworms in your lawn, evenly distribute the entire amount of product over your treatment area.
8. Once you finish applying to Reclaim IT, postpone any regular irrigation or mowing in the area for at least 24 hours.
9. You should check ahead of time to ensure it won’t rain.
10. When using Reclaim IT, be sure to apply on calm days when wind speeds are low to minimize drift.

How to Prevent Fall Armyworms from Returning

Prevention is essential to keep pests off your property, even after you’ve applied pesticides, the best way to stop fall armyworm activities is to make it can’t re-infest.

Below are steps to prevent fall armyworms from returning:

1. Fall armyworms are easily suppressed by their natural Predators. So do what you can to expose common hiding spots.
2. Rake your lawn regularly to remove decayed and fallen leaves.
3. Pick up any yard debris that might get in the way.
4. Proper lawn maintenance will also strengthen your lawn giving you a chance to recover from fall armyworms infestations.
5. Trim back overhanging tree branches to reduce shade and promote proper water retention in your soil.
6. Give your lawn 1 to 1½ inches of water, once a week, and mow your grass to a taller height about 3 to 4 inches to encourage root growth.
7. Finally, make sure you fertilize your lawn with the proper amount of nitrogen it needs, so it can stay healthy and fight against pest symptoms.

Rapping Up

Fall armyworms may be highly destructive pests if ignored, the good side is pest clue is always available to help you manage and control pest infestation.

You can stop the fall armyworms from destroying your lawn and garden by following these DIY guides on how to get rid of fall armyworms.

Do well to share as you will be impacting this knowledge. Also, let us know your experience with the fall armyworms.

About The Author

Will David

Hi, I am Will David aka Mr. Pest, research expert and author at Pestclue. With 5+ years of experience surfing pest, pest control and pet, I will assist and provide all solutions related to pests, pest control and pet care, my aim is to ensure your environment is pest-free and your pets are healthy.

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