Webworms feeding on Lowcountry lawns

Much to my surprise, I got a call this week about sod webworm. With all the large patch/brown patch in yards right now, I thought for sure I was going to be looking at more fungus. I have talked to a few people who thought they had chinch bugs, and it turned out to be large patch/brown patch.

The cloudy, rainy weather likely was perfect for the sod webworm to hatch and the larva to begin to munch.

Moths in your lawn indicate sod webworm. The moths are the adult form of the sod webworm, and they lay eggs in your grass. When these eggs hatch, the wormlike larva stage of the sod webworm begins. The wormlike larva is the part of the life cycle that damages the turf. It is a voracious eater that can damage large sections of your lawn very quickly. They feed on cloudy days and at night, so while you sleep, they eat.

One good thing is that they are very easy to eradicate since their entire body is in contact with the ground.

If worms of any type (sod webworm, army or cut worms) are attacking your grass, it will appear that you have mowed your grass with a dull mower blade at a slow speed and a low cutting height. You can see the worm if you get into the border between the good grass and the munched-on grass and spread the grass blades apart.

Scout in the evening and look for moths. If you see a grayish/brown moth that gets up and flies then lands again in your turf, there is a good chance that you have sod webworm. Most people will apply a control product when they see the moths to avoid major damage by the larva.

Tirade is a good product to control mole crickets, fire ants and sod webworms. Bt and Spinosad are organic controls that are effective against young sod webworms.

Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at Possum's Landscape and Pest Control Supply, 481 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant (971-9601), 3325 Business Circle in North Charleston (760-2600), or 606 Dupont Road in Charleston (766-1511). Fax questions to 406-2700 or e-mail them to your newspaper's editors.