Contents
The adult stage of an army worm is a nocturnal, dull colored moth. The front wings are dark with a pale to whitish stripe running lengthwise down the center. The hind wings are much lighter in color.
Checkout this video:
The Army Worm
The army worm is a small, slender caterpillar that is green in color with a light-colored stripe running down its back. The army worm is found in North America and is a major pest of crops such as corn, wheat, and soybeans. The army worm can cause extensive damage to crops in a short period of time and can be difficult to control.
What Does It Look Like?
The adult army worm is a brownish-gray moth with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The front half of the moth’s wings are light gray with a dark stripe, while the back half is dark gray. The caterpillar stage of the army worm is what does the most damage to crops. These caterpillars are green or brown with stripes running down their sides. They can grow to be about 2 inches long and are voracious eaters.
Where Does It Live?
Army worms are found in pastures, grasslands, and other areas with grasses and cereal crops. They are often difficult to control because they can migrate long distances in large numbers. A single army worm can consume up to 10 times its weight in just a few days!
What Does It Eat?
The Army worm will eat any type of plant that it can find. This includes crops, flowers, and even trees! If there is an infestation of Army worms, they can quickly destroy a crops or ruin a garden. The Army worm is especially fond of eating corn, but will eat just about anything else if corn is not available.
The Army Worm’s Life Cycle
The army worm has a very short life cycle. The adult army worm only lives for about two weeks. In that time, the female can lay up to 3,000 eggs. The eggs hatch in just a few days and the larvae begin to feed immediately. The larvae go through six stages of growth, shedding their skin each time. The final stage is when the larvae are fully grown and ready to pupate.
The Egg
The egg is the first stage in an armyworm’s life cycle. The egg is spherical and white when first laid, but turns yellow just before hatching. Armyworm eggs are often laid in clusters of 50-100 on the undersides of leaves. Once hatched, the young caterpillars (or “larvae”) begin to feed immediately.
The Larva
The larva is the stage of an army worm’s life cycle in which it does the most damage to crops. The larvae are small, black caterpillars with a distinctive white or yellow stripe running down their backs. They hatch from eggs and are attracted to green, leafy plants. Army worms can strip a plant of its leaves in a matter of days, causing extensive damage to crops.
The Pupa
The pupa is the final stage in an armyworm’s life cycle. In this stage, the worm spin a cocoon around itself and metamorphosis into an adult moth. The adult moth will emerge from the cocoon after about 10 days.
The Adult
The adult army worm is a moth that is brown or gray in color. The moths are attracted to light, so you may see them around your porch light at night. They are about ½ inch long with a wingspan of 1 inch. The front wings have a distinctive chevron shape. Females lay between 400 and 2,000 eggs in small clusters on the undersides of leaves.
How to Get Rid of Army Worms
Army worms are small, green caterpillars that can quickly destroy a garden. Army worms are the larvae of moths and they are often mistaken for grasshoppers. These caterpillars are voracious eaters and they can strip a plant of its leaves in just a few hours. If you think you have army worms in your garden, here’s how to get rid of them.
Natural Methods
There are several natural methods you can use to get rid of army worms. You can use a substance called BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) which is a naturally occurring bacteria that is poisonous to army worms. You can also spray your plants with a strong stream of water to remove the worms. If you have chickens, you can let them loose in your garden to eat the army worms. Another method is to mix up a concoction of dish soap,Garlic and water and spray it on your plants.
Chemical Methods
Chemical methods are the most common and most effective ways to get rid of army worms. There are a number of different products on the market, but they all work in a similar way. You apply the product to your lawn and it kills the worms by poisoning them.
The best time to apply a chemical treatment is in the early morning or evening, when the worms are actively feeding. You need to make sure that you cover the entire lawn, so that the worms have no safe place to hide. Be sure to follow the directions on the product carefully, as over-applying can damage your lawn.
If you have pets or children, you will need to take extra care to keep them safe from the chemicals. Make sure that they are not allowed on the treated lawn until it is safe to do so.
