July 29, 2009
The Worms March On
Well for me, the problem this summer has been tomato horn worms and tomato fruit worms. But I heard from Chuck Browne that another worm is on the march in the state. Chuck is the county Extension coordinator for Lee County.
Check out what he had to say in his weekly column in the Opelika-Auburn News.
I got a call this weekend from a friend who discovered that fall armyworms had invaded his field of brown top millet. It surprised me that they were already here in Lee County. But after calling around the state checking with some of my fellow Extension colleagues, I found out that the worms are already fairly widespread throughout the state.
Fall armyworms not only attack things such as wheat, corn and other grass crops but also home lawns. They are closely related to cutworms, and caterpillars damage grass by chewing plant tissue. Fall armyworms feed any time of the day. They are most active on turf early in the morning or late in the afternoon or in the early evening. On taller, unmowed turf or coastal bermudagrass, fall armyworms can be observed feeding on foliage during the day. However, on maintained turf that is mowed regularly, fall armyworm larvae spend the warmer hours of the day deep in the turf.
The female moths lay eggs at night in masses of up to several hundred on light-colored surfaces. These masses darken with age, and the eggs hatch within 2 to 4 days. All eggs within a mass hatch about the same time.
Development from egg to fully grown larva requires about 2 to 3 weeks. At this point, larvae burrow into the soil and form pupae, from which moths emerge in about 10 to 14 days. Fall armyworms are permanent residents of Central and South America. It is generally agreed that fall armyworm moths, carried by air currents, make their way from Central and South America each year.
Fall armyworm damage to turf may vary in appearance and severity according to type of grass and maintenance practices. Fall armyworm damage resembles drought damage. Well-established, properly maintained bermudagrass is rarely killed by fall armyworms, but the poor appearance that results may justify treatment.
The decision to treat for fall armyworms depends on the kind and condition of the turf and what use the turf serves. As with other pests, timing is important. Although there are several overlapping generations of fall armyworms in most years, moth activity and egg-laying peaks periodically.
If insecticidal control on home lawns is necessary, formulations of Carbaryl (Sevin), is effective. Spot treat if possible. Generally, treatment is recommended when there are more than 4 armyworms per square foot.
For more information on Fall Army Worms, visit the ACES Web site .
Chuck Browne
Photo credit: Dr. Bart Drees, Texas A&M University
July 09, 2009
A Worm In Your Tomato?
My small raised bed and container vegetable garden has done pretty well inspite of some challenging weather. First, it seemed as if it rained every day. Then, we had a couple of weeks of blistering heat---even for Alabama.
One nice thing about a small garden is that it is easy to scout for insect pests. I have thumped about a half dozen tomato horn worms to their death this summer and a few more worm pests.
If you want to learn more about scouting your vegetables particularly tomatoes for insect pests, check out this post on the Alabama Cooperative Extension System's Home Grounds blog. It also has some excellent photos of tomato pests.