Friggin' Texas

[BarryBobPosthole]

Just went out and did a close inspection of my yard and I have a couple of patches of those goddamned army worms that blow up here from Texas when we have mild summers. My yard is about 90% zoysia which they really don't care for too much but I have some areas in my back yard where I have native bermuda (that stuff grows on a rock) and that's where I found those little bastards this morning. Time for my Caddyshack impression!

BKB

[Big Muddy]

Heck, I saw your post title, and thought you were dissing the Cowgirls.....thought I'd help you out. ;)

3547

[Big Muddy]

As for your armyworms, they are horrible over the entire nation, this year....fortunately, they are very easy, cheap, and safe to get rid of....use the recommended dosage on the container of Orthene in your pump-up handsprayer....one of your farmer friends will prolly let you borrow some because it will only take a smidgen for your whole yard....problem is, Orthene doesn't have much residual effect, so they might invade, again.

If you wanna go the Cadillac route, there's a relatively new product called Belt, with great residual killing power....it will kill ANY worm pest, along with their eggs, larvae, etc. for a full month....sorta expensive at $800 per gallon, but it only takes 2 ounces to treat an entire acre....don't know if it's sold in smaller quantities or not.
I applied it by airplane to about 200 acres of soybeans on another farm about 3 weeks ago, and I STILL can't find a live worm, anywhere.

BTW, they aren't gonna kill your Bermuda grass....they just eat it level with the ground....believe me, it will regenerate from the underground stolons.

I planted two isolated 5 acre duck holes about a month ago in millet and milo....it was about a foot tall, when I last visited them....next time I went back there, the worms had eaten it to the ground, slick as a blacktop road....thought I was gonna hafta replant it....went back in there last week, and the day'um stuff had regenerated from the roots, and is getting ready to put on grain heads.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Yep, that's what I understand from what I've read. I'm going to go by the local nursery at lunchtime where I get most of my yard supplies and I'll look for some Orthene. Thanks for the advice! They sure are busy little buggers. I've only got them in one small spot that has bermuda. Have heard stories of them munching through an entire fescue yard in just a day!

I remember several years ago they hit some pastures near where we had a hunting lease and all that was left was buttercups after less than a week. That pasture never did recover, at least from the time I last seen it. Once those buttercups move in and take hold they're damn near impossible to get rid of.



BKB

[Big Muddy]

Haha, yep, a few years back, I was gonna get an early start on a large foodplot....planted wheat on it, the middle of August, and got a nice rain on it....it was about 4 inches tall, when we went outta town for Labor Day weekend....when we got back, there was not a single blade of wheat to be found on the entire foodplot....I got to looking closely at the ground, and the dirt appeared to be moving....the entire foodplot, I mean every square inch, was covered with army worms....every time I took a step, green worm sheeit went everywhere.

[Niner]

Man, them are some bad mamma jammas....
http://www.walterreeves.com/insects-and-animals/army-worms-control-2/

3556

3557

[Captain]

Wow talk about a timely post. Dad called me Thursday while I was fishing and them damn Army worms are raping our front hayfields. He said our neighbor had called him about it. I cut my fishing trip a day short and drove back yesterday and went to the farm for a look myself. As far as I can tell they are just in our front hayfield at this time. They have cleaned about 2 acres and are marching across the field. I'm headed that way this morning to start spraying.
Eddie there is no Belt available in my area of NC/SC. It runs about $648 bucks for 2 1/2 gallons around here but all of it has been bought up. I might could have some shipped in but hate to give them damn boogers a few extra days of eating while I wait on it to get here.
I found 7 1/2 gallons of Carbaryl 4L and bought that. I'm gonna have to go with a quart an acre. Gonna be a long day.....
Damn worms got into my fishing time....

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[Thumper]

Damn worms got into my fishing time....

Why don't you kill two birds with one stone? One word comes to mind .... BAIT! :D

So, were the flatfish cooperating?

P.S. Ship some of those dang worms down here ... I'll spread 'em around my lawn so I won't have to have that $#!t mowed every 27 1/2 hours!

[Captain]

The hurricane that moved up the coast had the sound churned up like chocolate milk and waves way to high to find bait (menhaden) the first day.
We fished for Croker, White Perch and Pup Drum that day and caught a pile of them. Thursday was a good day. Netted a ton of bait and the flatfish were biting and had a good day.
Had to cut the trip short cause if these damn worms and drove back yesterday.

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