Dang Army Worms! Ate My 'Moody-Grass!

[redlevel]

I spent most of a saturday and several hundred dollars putting hybrid Bermuda grass sod around my daughter's new swimming pool a couple of months back. Had watered it and fertilized it and kept it alive through a heat wave. Looking good. We fertilized it for the second time Saturday, and watered the fertilizer in. Then we got a half-inch of rain Sat night, so i figured all was well. The pool is located in the middle of what used to be the vegetable garden. I was harrowing Monday afternoon, and noticed that the grass looked brown in spots, actually about three-fourths the total area. My first thought was that we put too much fertilizer and burned it, but I really knew better. I walked over to the grass. There were about a million army worms working what was left.

We're still a good 60 days from a frost, so I fertilized it lightly again and started back over watering. I'll check for the army worms when it starts to green up a little, and spray if needed. The worms have been pretty bad in pastures and hay fields this late-Summer. I have seen them devastate a lush, 12-inch deep bermuda grass hay field in just two or three days.

By the way, we call it either "mooder-grass" or "moody-grass" down here.

 

[Cobroller]

Kill them first. The grass should come back pretty quick. When the armies cross the road you need snow tires to get through the slime.

 

[Jswiney9]

I spent most of a saturday and several hundred dollars putting hybrid Bermuda grass sod around my daughter's new swimming pool a couple of months back. Had watered it and fertilized it and kept it alive through a heat wave. Looking good. We fertilized it for the second time Saturday, and watered the fertilizer in. Then we got a half-inch of rain Sat night, so i figured all was well. The pool is located in the middle of what used to be the vegetable garden. I was harrowing Monday afternoon, and noticed that the grass looked brown in spots, actually about three-fourths the total area. My first thought was that we put too much fertilizer and burned it, but I really knew better. I walked over to the grass. There were about a million army worms working what was left.

We're still a good 60 days from a frost, so I fertilized it lightly again and started back over watering. I'll check for the army worms when it starts to green up a little, and spray if needed. The worms have been pretty bad in pastures and hay fields this late-Summer. I have seen them devastate a lush, 12-inch deep bermuda grass hay field in just two or three days.

By the way, we call it either "mooder-grass" or "moody-grass" down here.

find you some box turtles and let them go at em. as long as there are worms around those turtles wont go far. funny to watch too, they just slowly walk around picking the suckers off.

 

[mick1213]

They've been very bad on the Gulf coast this year also. Most of the farmers and haymakers have had problems. Young Bermuda grass hard hit, even problems with Bahia.

 

[Ga Johnny]

Red

get ya some liquid sevin and treat the area with that, from what I hear they've been pretty bad this year, and that sevin is the best thing for it.

I've been lucky....so far and not had them (knocking on wood)


"we call it either "mooder-grass" or "moody-grass" down here"


I knew what ya meant....

 

[mstuhr]

Not me?

"we call it either "mooder-grass" or "moody-grass" down here"


I knew what ya meant....

Howdy,
Not me, I came here expecting a Cheech and Chong story.
Now I know.
Thanks!
Mike

 

[cass]

Amazing timing! I just stepped out on the deck and it was COVERED with the army worms. Millions of them. Two hrs before, I didn't notice any. I got some liquid seven and sprayed - it does a good job, but the Burmuda Grass is still alive with them. I dread looking at my pasture.