ARMYWORMS INFEST AREA'S FIELDS, LAWNS

Fall armyworms have infested wheat fields, corn fields and lawns in Southeast Missouri.

"They're here in epidemic proportions," said Gerald Bryan, an agronomist with the University of Missouri Extension Service at Jackson, Mo. The pests were seen in fields, lawns and grass along roads.

"I was walking along the road in North County Park late Tuesday, and they were so plentiful, I almost stepped on them," Bryan said.

Armyworms can damage crops, said Michael Boyd, an agronomist at Missouri Delta Center at Portageville, Mo.

"It looks like this is a good spring for armyworms," said Boyd. "With the cold, wet spells we had during the winter, many of the armyworm's natural enemies were killed, and with the dry spring, armyworm populations have been able to increase rapidly."

The cold winter killed off many small insects tachnid flies and small wasps which are usually predators of the fall armyworms. Bryan, has seen a lot of armyworms in wheat fields around the area.

He said he has seen as many as 10 pests a square foot.

"Farmers should be on the lookout for them," Bryan said.

Don't panic yet

The armyworm attacks the flag leaf in wheat and later the seed heads.

"There's no need to spray yet," said Boyd, "but I am recommending that farmers continue to observe the armyworms' feeding pattern, particularly the non-irrigated wheat's lower leaves."

Boyd hopes a "good rain" will drown the larvae.

"I'm telling folks not to panic, but scout their fields," he said. "If spraying becomes necessary, there's a number of insecticides on the recommendations list Lannate, Warrior, Penncap-M and Seven."

The armyworm's lifecycle lasts from 41 to 66 days.

"There are two or three generations each year in Missouri," said Boyd, "but the larvae of the first generation, in May and June, generally cause the most damage."

They can literally ruin a young corn crop or good pasture, Bryan said, adding: "They will go down a row of corn and destroy it, and they can strip a pasture in a hurry."

In the past, armyworms haven't been a big problem, but this year "they're at epidemic levels," he said.

The fall armyworms are migratory moths that "winter" in southern states. Unlike "true" armyworms, fall armyworms do not leave plants during daylight hours.

The fall armyworms typically reach lengths of 1 to 1 1/2 inches.

The pests don't only pick on corn and wheat but attack a variety of grasses.

"They pick on the nutritious stuff," said Bryan.