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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, 11 July 2001 ARMYWORM INVADES MASSACHUSETTS When the Armyworms got here -Anonymous It may not go down as a nursery rhyme classic, but the summer the Armyworms invaded the Northeast is sure to be remembered for some time. Calls from homeowners, golf course superintendents and hay growers have inundated UMass Extension specialists throughout the state. The first reports of heavy infestations came from turfgrass settings (home lawns, golf courses) in southeastern Massachusetts. Since then, Armyworm infestations have been reported in turfgrass, hay and alfalfa fields, corn, and other vegetables in most regions of the Commonwealth. The Armyworm is the caterpillar of a night-flying moth. The worms tend to feed in dense groups and, when their food supply is exhausted, they move as a group (army-like) to another food source. The Armyworm overwinters in the South and adult moths make their way into the northern Midwest on storm fronts, where they lays eggs in wheat and corn. This year, agricultural specialists are suggesting that Tropical Storm Allison blew the adult moths toward the east coast from the Midwestern and southern states several weeks ago. When they got here, corn had not emerged and they looked elsewhere. Since they normally feeds on members of the grass family (corn and wheat), they went to the most plentiful food source: lawns and golf courses. Unusual Armyworm infestations have also been reported from Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. Deborah Swanson, University of Massachusetts Extension Horticulturist in Plymouth County, reports that the Southeastern part of the state was especially hard hit, with reports of up 150 caterpillars per square foot of turf in some locations. "Homeowners were extremely agitated by the Armyworm explosion on their lawns. Many observed that their lawns appeared to be undulating live waves. It was like an Alfred Hitchcock movie," she said. Steven Herbert, Professor of Agronomy at University of Massachusetts, reports that this infestation has a significant economic impact on dairy farms throughout the state. "Farmers may lose some or all of their second cutting of their grass hay, and the re-growth of last cutting will be slowed down." Ruth Hazzard, Extension Specialist with the UMass Vegetable Integrated Pest Management program, reports, "Corn is the preferred host of the Armyworm and they can cause a lot of damage in the early stages of growth. Our farmers have had to treat their corn earlier than usual in order to protect the crop. We have been encouraged to find that some of the biorational and naturally-derived pesticides have been effective on Armyworm." University of Massachusetts Professor of Entomology Pat Vittum, says that the worst is over. "We can expect this infestation to begin to decline very soon in most locations, if it has not already begun to do so," she notes. "Keep in mind that in almost all locations of the state, caterpillars are very near the end of their development, and will be out of sight very soon. So, for most people, an insecticide application at this time probably is not justifiable. Usually the moths that emerge will migrate or be blown downwind to new locations and, apparently, a given location is not attacked a second time in a year." We haven’t seen the last of the Armyworm, however, adds Vittum. "We can expect to see large numbers of Armyworm moths flying very soon in the southeastern part of the state, where the infestations were first reported," she said. "In areas where caterpillars are still apparent, moths may not start flying for another week or ten days. In any case, the moths are night fliers and may be a nuisance in areas where they are attracted to streetlights or homes. The moths will not cause any damage to turf or anything else." The good news says UMass Extension's Deborah Swanson is that many lawns will recover reasonably well. "The caterpillars, while numerous, generally have been feeding on the blades and stems of the grass plants," she says. "The growing points, which are hidden in the crown of the plant, have remained intact. If you are able to keep the lawn irrigated during the next couple weeks, and give those growing points a chance to recover, the lawn may well bounce back. It is also a good idea to raise the mowing height of the lawn mower for a few weeks to give the grass every opportunity to recover. Severely damage lawns may not recover quickly. Such areas can be over seeded in later summer or early autumn." Media Contact: ARCHIVE: |
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