Sod Web Worms!!!!!!!!!

[LGL]

They are reaking havoc here in the northeast, I'm sure its the same elsewhere. Whats a good remedy to suggest to your customers. Something simple? I am not a PCO, therefore I will not treat of course, but they are asking about the problem.

[turfmd101]

Try power laundry detergent. Something mild like arm
and hammer. Other benefits will follow.
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[Landscape Poet]

Originally Posted by LGL

They are reaking havoc here in the northeast, I'm sure its the same elsewhere. Whats a good remedy to suggest to your customers. Something simple? I am not a PCO, therefore I will not treat of course, but they are asking about the problem.

If your customers can do their own lawns as well as PCO, then they should know the problem and the answer is the way I see it. Network with a local PCO and have the at the ready to diagnose and fix problems for customers for you. But to answer your question a bifen spray applied correctly when you first start to see damage or notice their feces should help suppress them. But again the key is applying the product correctly and if they are having a hard time with sod web worms then they should let a PCO handle their lawn.

[cgaengineer]

I've seen the moths around here on my home lawn, but today I found a line army worm. No damage as of yet...first saw the moths months ago. I'm guess I will treat next season.
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[turfmd101]

There's no need to use bifenthrin which has no residual and performs poor under rain wet conditions. Besides, webworms are the least to worry about in terms of "turf damaging insects". All they will do is eat some foliage and go away. The worst that can happen is some unwanted weeds emerge. Stick with cheap soap detergent this time of year. They'll be gone soon enough.
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[Landscape Poet]

Originally Posted by turfmd101

There's no need to use bifenthrin which has no residual and performs poor under rain wet conditions. Besides, webworms are the least to worry about in terms of "turf damaging insects".

First would bifen not work well if applied correctly as you are are spraying it directly into the area the insect is actively feeding, the blades and thatchy area. Water to a certain extent will ensure the product gets where it needs to as it will wash over them on its way down correct?

Originally Posted by turfmd101

All they will do is eat some foliage and go away. The worst that can happen is some unwanted weeds emerge. Stick with cheap soap detergent this time of year. They'll be gone soon enough.
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I have a couple issues with this statement, not meaning to bust your balls, but I have seen webworm damage make newer turf not recover over the years. Turf which has seemed to be newly established such as newer established sod...does not seem to have the resources to recover as well as more established turf from webworm damange.
Webworm damage and the "worst that can happen is some unwanted weeds" could mean a chance in many circumstances for Bermuda to make itself present. So unwanted weeds now become a issue that will haunt your lawn for awhile.
Last but not least - does applying laundry detergents to the home lawn...does that not risk the chance of putting unneeded P into the lawn/creating a possible leaching situation among many other unknows? I went to my laundry room and read my label of tide. No where on it did it give directions for proper control of TS webworms. So I went to my trailer and pulled out my 7.9% bifen and guess what...there was directions on how to apply to turf for TS webworms.

[LGL]

Poet, whats with the busting balls of my customers? No need for the antics, just had a friendly question. Web worms are pretty easy to spot even for a customer. Seeing as I am not a PCO, as I stated earlier I don't know what to suggest, hence why I asked. I didn't know if just telling them to put down a granular bug product would cover it or if it needed something specific. Just needed some advice.

[turfmd101]

I'm not sure if you know how bifenthrin works. When you shake your bifen before you mix, your hoping to mix all the molecules around so when you pour your .5 or .75oz of product into your gallon you have substantial quantities out to be effective. Now throw into account the thatch layer, thick or thin this will effect molecule distribution along with water volume and since webworms don't ingest the molecule (because they are ectoskeleton it absorbs in their system and disrupts their central nervous system you are hoping they contact each other. Soap spreads the entire area insuring contact occurs. Ectoskeleton insects no like soap. Now for "damage ". Turf that has trouble recovering from webworms has underlying issues. If you mow with dull blades you will shred the turf blade tissue causing premature senescence. The plant will shed this foliage completely and it is recoverable unless there are underlying issues. As for just some unwanted weeds. Yes you could get Bermuda or any number of weeds which already exist (as seed) in the soil for every square yard of soil contains about 1,200,000 seeds waiting their turn to germinate under favorable conditions. Meaning Bermuda seeds are already there dormant. Webworm activity doesn't dictate which weeds emerge. It would have happened eventually.
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[turfmd101]

Wasn't gonna go there but wouldn't be me. As for the P in my detergent suggestion I also mentioned the other benefits. I should send a picture. After my washing machine drains into the landscape like any you use also, my swordfern sits at end of the drain pipe and looks SWEET! I guess If I direct my drain pipe to my webworm effected area you'd be good.
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[Keith]

Where Floratam or other fast growing variety can recover quickly, some of the slower growing, dwarf varieties of St Augustine do have trouble recovering from worm damage. Webworms and armyworms both. If they mow it down, the runners don't care to be exposed to that amount of direct sunlight. You end up with a few days without rain, and bam, you have a mess. My front yard has had numerous outbreaks over the past two years. Sometimes it's not that bad, other times the damage is significant.