Army Worms

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In the Fall of 2021, we saw an unprecedented outbreak of Army Worms.  The Northeast had not seen an outbreak for over 40 years.  Army Worms are not a pest usually seen in the Northeast.  We received confirmation from the entomologist from UMass Extension Turf Program, these were indeed Army worms.  The damage was seen in Bolton and Marlborough around the beginning of September.

Eggs were present in August, followed by caterpillars in September.  The good news is they cannot survive our winters.  They are a tropical species.  Adult moths migrate to our area, often brought up from the South by a storm.  The bad news is we may see this more often if weather patterns continue to change.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do to protect lawns from the scourge.  It’s hard to deter them and it’s hard to predict where they’ll land to prevent this from happening.  Homeowners need to be watchful, monitoring and being vigilant for signs of trouble. We’ve added a link from Dr. Olga Kostromytska at the UMass Extension Turf Program. 


Army Worms actively feeding.
Bolton, MA


Skunks digging for pupated Army Worms.
Marlborough, MA

Read More: https://ag.umass.edu/turf/management-updates