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Liquid Sevin and Demand are labeled for Army worms and cost a lot less. But as a general rule I use Bifenthrin which is broad spectrum insecticide that also controls Army Worms.

IMHO the Permagreen doesn't deliver enough carrier to soak into the thatch where the Army Worms eggs are. They may be great for weed control but I don't trust them for Insect Control. My suggestion is to use Granular Talstar and irrigate it.

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in georgia we are having a epic outbreak of army worms. I have sprayed 20 lawns this week and getting more calls every single day for them. They are unbelievable right now. Bifen XTS works for me

 

We had a major outbreak about a month ago. It has now pretty much subsided. I was spraying Menace 7.9% Bifenthrin(generic Talstar) @ $40/gal. I was using it at 1/3 oz per 1000 ft sq applied by my Z-spray. They emerge from the thatch to feed and get a mouthful of it and it's curtains for them. I could spray a half acre lawn and by the time I made the last pass I could go to my first pass and they were already squirming and screaming. Cheap, effective kill. I try to avoid the use of Sevin but it is also a cheap kill.

 

I had no idea they liked cool season turf. Here, they love Bermudagrass and Soybeans. I've seen them chow down on a Bermuda lawn right up until they hit the neighbors zoysia and then stop. I guess zoysia gives them a tummy ache :laugh:

 

I have seen them eat zoysia. But that is because most of the fine turf here is that grass. Although I know bermuda is preferred. I saw a lawn last week that was crawling with them. Low cut bermuda. I stay away from "thrins" because anyone can buy Talstar G or else a granular at the hardware store. The now fired lawn guy did put down Triazicide granules(lambda cyhalothrin) a few weeks ago, but that did not work. Dylox 420 SL. Kind of old school. But it does not have the restriction of "spot spray only" on residential lawns like Sevin does. I am old enough to remember when the treatment of choice here in Hawaii was Diazinon through a hose end sprayer or else the granules.

 

I got the turf alert from nc state last week but honestly have never seen them. If you guys run across them I'd love if you posted a pic of the damage they cause. Maybe a pic of the worms at work?

 

About 15 years ago we had an outbreak of armyworms in NJ. One of my techs called me from the field that a lawn was swarming with Gypsy Moths. I thought he was drinking on the job. :drinkup:

Turns out that a hurricane had blown them north & they were feasting on TT Fescue & KBG. We had calls by the hundreds.

To all you Southerners, I feel for you. But keep the Armyworms to yourself.
BTW, you can also come and pick up your green kyllinga.

 

I'm not sure why you avoid the "thrins" other than resistance issues but the fact is, bifenthrin is cheap and it works well for surface feeding insects. The $40 gal jug of Menace treats 9 acres while the $190 2.5 gal jug of Dylox treats a little over an acre. If I were trying to kill white grubs at the 3rd instar I would be looking at things differently but we're talking army worms here... Easily controlled. Might as well do it for cheap.

I avoid Sevin because it is a known carcinogen. I just shake my head at folks around here that grow their tomatoes and absolutely coat them with Sevin dust like a piece of fried chicken coated in flour. You can't tell me that all gets washed off before it is consumed...

 

Resistance and the subsurface pests a "thrin" does not control well are still a problem. I did not know what billbugs or grubs could do back in the day when lawns were treated with high rates of Diazinon or Dursban for every incidence of sod webworm or Armyworm. Dylox is something I need for new accounts or for cases where over the counter pyrethroid granules were used to no effect. I keep both Dylox and Tempo on hand. Tempo works well where I know there is no billbug or grub activity and the only problem is worms.

It is interesting how Sevin is still allowed on many field crops, as well as most fruits and vegetables, yet there is a specific prohibition on using it as a broadcast treatment on a residential lawn. I hear you on using it on tomatoes as if it was breading. Truthfully, I avoided Sevin on anything other than turfgrass. Sevin would cause incredible outbreaks of spider mites on fruits, ornamentals, and vegetables. The last place I would want outbreaks of spider mites is in a home fruit or vegetable planting. Almost everything labeled for it is restricted to production AG only.

 

I'm not sure why you avoid the "thrins" other than resistance issues but the fact is, bifenthrin is cheap and it works well for surface feeding insects. The $40 gal jug of Menace treats 9 acres while the $190 2.5 gal jug of Dylox treats a little over an acre. If I were trying to kill white grubs at the 3rd instar I would be looking at things differently but we're talking army worms here... Easily controlled. Might as well do it for cheap.

I avoid Sevin because it is a known carcinogen. I just shake my head at folks around here that grow their tomatoes and absolutely coat them with Sevin dust like a piece of fried chicken coated in flour. You can't tell me that all gets washed off before it is consumed...

Sevin is better than the Chlordane Tomatoes from Latin America. Tomatoes are sensitive to many Pesticides. Sevin and Chlordane are two popular Insecticide for Tomatoes. I find Dish Soap works on most insects and it doesn't effect my Tomatoes.

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Took these last 2 weeks. Yards looked fine week before. Both are recovering now. The green stuff in the lawn is centipede or weeds. Both were ignored by the worms.

 

We had a major outbreak about a month ago. It has now pretty much subsided. I was spraying Menace 7.9% Bifenthrin(generic Talstar) @ $40/gal. I was using it at 1/3 oz per 1000 ft sq applied by my Z-spray. They emerge from the thatch to feed and get a mouthful of it and it's curtains for them. I could spray a half acre lawn and by the time I made the last pass I could go to my first pass and they were already squirming and screaming. Cheap, effective kill. I try to avoid the use of Sevin but it is also a cheap kill.

At what rate of water per K were you applying?

 

Sevin is better than the Chlordane Tomatoes from Latin America. Tomatoes are sensitive to many Pesticides. Sevin and Chlordane are two popular Insecticide for Tomatoes. I find Dish Soap works on most insects and it doesn't effect my Tomatoes.

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Soaps a great idea. I have several large tomato plants that I have sprayed with absolutely nothing this year. I check them daily and have picked a half dozen tomato worms off of them this season. That's all I've done with them besides fertilization. My dad was telling me tonight that you can put a 16 penny nail in the soil at the base of the plant when first planting them and that supposedly would keep the worms off of them. I don't know how true that is though.

 

At what rate of water per K were you applying?

I'd have to look at the label again but I believe it says .25 oz/1000 will control Army Worms. I was applying .33/1000. I have used it at 1 oz/1000 to get immediate control of Fire Ants. I believe the 1 oz rate is maximum label rate.

Edit: I just saw the word "water" in your statement

I spray with my Z @ 1/3 gal per 1000.

That 1 oz rate is sprayed with a JD-9 @ 3 gal per 1000

 

A nail or so near a plant might supply zinc. Other than that, I do not know if that would deter pests. I remember trying to grow tomatoes 30 years ago. Fruit worms, leaf miners and stink bugs decimated the plants. If I had the time, I would try again. Better living through chemistry. Bayer and Syngenta here I come.

 

A nail or so near a plant might supply zinc. Other than that, I do not know if that would deter pests. I remember trying to grow tomatoes 30 years ago. Fruit worms, leaf miners and stink bugs decimated the plants. If I had the time, I would try again. Better living through chemistry. Bayer and Syngenta here I come.

Yea, my dad is in a nursing home and has Dementia so I have to take some of what he says with a "grain of salt". I brought him some awesome tomatoes and he uses them for money like convicts use cigarettes in prison:laugh:

I have customers that ask me to spray their fruit trees for them and I do until the fruit has set. After that, they're on their own. Too much liability involved for me to be responsible for what others eat. It's a "CYA" thing for me.

 

I stopped worrying when I found out what is allowed in fruit orchards is totally prohibited in residential areas. No chlorpyrifos,, diazinon, dimethoate, endosulfan, Guthion, Imidan, Kelthane, or Meta Systox R to name a few. What we typically use for insects in residential areas is not favored in fruits. Too much mite flare up after usage.

 

Yea, my dad is in a nursing home and has Dementia so I have to take some of what he says with a "grain of salt". I brought him some awesome tomatoes and he uses them for money like convicts use cigarettes in prison:laugh:

I have customers that ask me to spray their fruit trees for them and I do until the fruit has set. After that, they're on their own. Too much liability involved for me to be responsible for what others eat. It's a "CYA" thing for me.

I am not sure what Kind of Fruit Trees you are Treating. But Citrus and other fruit trees can't be sprayed while Flowering. They go into shock and won't Flower or Produce fruit for Years. We actually Spray Citrus Trees AFTER the Fruit has Set. Leaf Miner threshold on Citrus trees is fairly High but homeowner want Perfect leaves. Imidacloprid will control Leaf Miner but also cause Spider Mites. Spider Mites cause the Fruit's skin to become hard and Split as the Fruit Grows. Commercial Citrus Groves spray pretty heavy. 2% Soap solution will control Spider Mites but must be Applied fairly often. Talstar @ 20 oz a 100 gallons also controls Spider Mites. None of those Products will Hurt Humans eating the Fruit.

I grow Hydroponic Tomatoes. Fact is, I was Planning on increasing my production to a small Commercial Level. I decided to not go commercial because it was more work than I wanted. I am not a Tree Hugging Granola Nut but I do try and grow my Hydroponic garden Pesticide free. Insecticidal/Dish Soap works but has to be applied nightly in some cases. I find once you reach 1 to 2 % soap solution it is best to irrigate in the Morning to stop sun burn from the soap.

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I'd have to look at the label again but I believe it says .25 oz/1000 will control Army Worms. I was applying .33/1000. I have used it at 1 oz/1000 to get immediate control of Fire Ants. I believe the 1 oz rate is maximum label rate.

Edit: I just saw the word "water" in your statement

I spray with my Z @ 1/3 gal per 1000.

That 1 oz rate is sprayed with a JD-9 @ 3 gal per 1000

It has been my experience that Fire Ants can be easily controlled with Less Insecticide and More Carrier. Of Course many times I am dealing with heavy Thatch where I need more liquid to sink in. I pretty much find the same to be true on Chinch Bugs as well as Army Worms. For Yard applications I am using Bifen XTS at Low rate and 5 Gallon Per Thousand and getting excellent control. I am not trying to be cheap with the low rate so much as keep the Yard from Glowing in the dark. a $ 26.00 quart of Bifen XTS will cover 10 acres at low rate. BTW Low rate may take just a tad longer to gain control but it will work.

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Look what I found today!! Hope it isn't wide spread in my area!!

 

We've seen a ton of damage in the Raleigh area the past couple days.

 

Northeast Arkansas is absolutely covered with them. Started about 8 days ago.

 

For those looking for alternative to standard treatment for armyworm, a 3% azadiractin product can be used at rate of 8 oz/ acre.
A good tool to add if resistance is a concern.
Works an an anti-feedant,insect growth regulator.

 

Spinosad will control worms on veggies, and turf, although very expensive

 

Pics from Southern Indiana. I am using Upstar Gold. Bifenthrin is the A.I.