Last Thursday I received an e-mail from our regional offices stating we could have significant army worm damage this year.

Since that e-mail I have had dozens of calls about army worms infesting hay fields, home lawns, pastures and wildlife food plots. They seem to be on the march early this year and unfortunately this will likely be something we may have to consider until temperatures drop into the mid 40s a few months from now. Here is some basic info we should all know.

Q: What is an army worm?

A: The army worm is the caterpillar life stage of a moth. These moths can lay thousands of eggs in multiple sites in fields or lawns. They are very tiny when they first hatch; they are only about 1/16 of an inch long and grayish-green in color.

As they mature they become tan to almost black in color with stripes along their sides. A good mark to remember is the inverted Y shape on the head.

If untreated they can quickly devour a home lawn or field overnight. The name army worm is attributed to the fact they work like an army slowly devouring one area and moving on in large cluster eliminating everything in their path.

These caterpillars are most active at night but can be seen in the daytime feeding or hiding just above the soil surface.

Q: What type of lawn is most vulnerable?

A: This time of the year bermuda grass lawns are the primary target of the army worm. However in the last five days we have observed them on St. Augustine, bahia grass, and even had one farmer say they were eating up his smut grass.

In the fall our biggest concern is them moving into food plots as rye grass is also a major target of these worms.

Last year we received several calls from hunters that came up on the weekends to find their food plots completely eaten down to the ground. Unfortunately if you manage your fields, lawns, or food plots well this is one pest that may find it desirable.

Q. How can I control army worms?

If you have army worms you have two options, watch your grass quickly get devoured or use a control strategy. The good news is army worms are easy to control once detected.

Any product with active ingredients like carbaryl, permethrin or lambda-cyhalothrin will give quick results. Sevin, a common product found in most lawn and garden centers, is an example of a good product to use to get great control rapidly.

I would say to use chemical control once you can see more than two worms per square foot of lawn space.

Be sure to read the label accurately for application rates and instructions.

David Carter is the director of the Adams County Extension Service. He can be reached at 601-445-8201.