'Corn or soybean growers have probably already been dealing with the armyworm,' Pratt said. What would we expect from fall armyworms usually, and what are we seeing now in Kentucky?įall armyworms are an annual pest in Kentucky, according to Bethany Pratt, the Jefferson County horticulture education agent for the University of Kentucky's Cooperative Extension Service.īut usually, they are a blight on Kentucky farmers, not homeowners. The caterpillars have a “Y” shape on the back of their heads and three stripes that run down the middle of their bodies, making them distinguishable if you can find them. More: Want your own pollinator meadow? These 5 flowers will bring bees, butterflies to your yard The armyworm cannot survive in below-freezing temperatures, so it spends the winter in Texas and Florida before heading back up North for late summer and early fall in search of food.

The fall armyworm can be found all over the Eastern and Central United States. Armyworms earned their name by spreading out over a large area and eating everything they comes across, like an army. The armyworms that are a scourge upon Kentucky right now are actually the larval stage of the armyworm moth.Īrmyworms mostly eat grass and grain crops, like corn.

More: Welt, welt, welt: Brood X cicadas may have brought an influx of itch mites to Louisville What is the fall armyworm? We spoke to Kentucky entomologists to figure out just what these armyworms are and what to do if you see them in your yard. For the first time since 1977, fall armyworms are eating up lawns and golf courses across Kentucky, moving from their usual agricultural haunts. Have you noticed a strange large brown spot of dead grass in your yard? One that looks almost like drought? Have you seen little masses of eggs that look like teeny Styrofoam balls stuck to your patio furniture?

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