The amazing Sherri Harrah from Plants For All Seasons was on the radio show last weekend, and something she said made the hair on the back of my neck stand up!
She reported that she is already seeing signs of sod webworms in her northwest Houston area. UGH!!! These pests are devastating, and if you don’t diagnose them early and treat immediately, you can lose your lawn in just a couple of weeks.
Though her insight made me uneasy, it’s early enough in this possible outbreak that certain protocols can work to eliminate the problem – if you act fast.
The July and August drought-like conditions we’ve been experiencing in southeast Texas are responsible for the potential outbreak. Mother Nature has already helped bring about an onslaught of chinch bugs, and they can also decimate an entire yard in about two weeks. The pictures show what each of the insects look like, and how different the damage looks.
Another major difference is that sod webworms come from moths that flutter over the lawn, especially early in the morning or when you walk through the grass.
So, here are links for what you need to make an identification and the protocols to wage war against them!
Whichever you might have, get busy with the controls TODAY!!!
By the way, I’ve never found any readily available organic product that works on chinch bugs the way liquid insecticides do. However, you may get some decent results with liquid bT.