Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5061 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Anthony Wiggins

Regional Extension Agent

Animal Science & Forages

May 10, 2010

Scouting is Key to Armyworm Control

Raising hay in the south can be a challenging endeavor.  It seems that there is always something to contend with whether it’s a drought, too much rain, weeds, high fuel and fertilizer prices, and/or insects.  For years, one insect that has been a forage producers’ nemesis is the armyworm.  Last year was an awful year for armyworms and who knows what kind of year this will be for armyworms, but rest assured they will show up before the year is over.

Scouting pastures and hayfields is the only way to detect armyworms before they cause economic damage.  One easy thing to watch for is the presence of flocks of birds, in particular, cattle egrets in pastures and hayfields.  However, you can’t depend on the birds as your sole scouting regimen.  Producers need to regularly get out there and scout the fields themselves.  The key to controlling armyworms is to find them when they are very small.  It’s easy to spot armyworms when they are two inches long and there is one on every blade of grass, but typically when they are this big they are harder to kill and the damage has already been done.  It is difficult to find armyworms when they are small and before they cause lots of damage to the forage crop, but using a sweep net can greatly improve your chances of finding them while they are still manageable.

Thanks to the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, sweep nets have been placed in all of the county extension offices in Alabama to assist producers in scouting for armyworms.  Sweep nets are easy to use; one just simply swings the net from side to side through the grass in front of them.  The net catches the armyworms and allows producers to detect them while they are still small, thereby allowing the use of minimal rates of insecticides to get good control and prevent major losses to the hay/forage crop.  This is a plus for the environment and to the producer’s pocketbook.  If you feel like you need more instruction on how to scout for armyworms with a sweep net, soon there will be a YouTube video on the ACES website that demonstrates how to properly use a sweep net.  If you are interested in using one of the sweep nets, please contact the Baldwin County Extension Office for availability.

Many producers will have to deal with armyworms this year, but being vigilant with scouting can head off any major disasters associated with the pest.  If you have to deal with armyworms this year and need assistance in deciding on control tactics, contact me at the Monroe County Extension Office at 251-575-3477.

Email address: wiggia1@aces.edu

Phone number: 937-7176 or 943-5061, 928-0860, ext. 2222

Baldwin County Extension Programs are supported by the Baldwin County Commission.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.