Armyworms Invade Tri-Cities’ Lawns…Here’s What to Do
I have family members in Kennewick who have an armyworm invasion in their lawns right now. But I have other friends and family in other parts of the Tri-Cities that have not seen any!
When the armyworms crawl onto the sidewalk during a heavy rain, sometimes they stop and die there and make an oily mark. Ewww. That's just the icky part. The worst part is that they eat your grass and will affect other plants as well.
These armyworms eventually become moths, but the heavy infestations of worms that we're seeing right now can completely destroy an entire lawn. So, what to do?
Naturally, there are lots of insecticides out there that mention armyworms right on the label. But I saw on the Facebook group Tri City Gardeners where somebody asked about an effective armyworm killer. She said they've infested their lawn and are literally everywhere.
Helpful comments include getting a bird feeder! Yep. You want the birds to come and they will devour the armyworms as well. Some folks on the Facebook thread said that by not using insecticides they're seeing many more birds hanging around and a huge decrease in harmful insects.
Now, I'm not one of those 'organic-only' types who is afraid to use insecticides, and I'll Round-Up weeds around my house in a blink. But this sounds like a great idea. I'd rather buy birdseed than poison!