# Americas Army Worms Invade Africa.



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

AgWeb.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/alien-armyworms-invade-corn-in-drought-hit-southern-africa-blmg/


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

Had army worms in our area a few years ago and a lot of guys lost substantial amounts of their crops. Hopefully they can come up with a solution before it gets any worse.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

It was horrible here to. They covered the mower. One of my customers had straight timothy and there was not much left to mow and not a head in sight.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Can't you spray with something that will take them out?


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

Many good and informative posts already on here about army worm control. We fight them every year in the South. Some years worst than others.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

Hayman1 said:


> Can't you spray with something that will take them out?


The problem most people in my area had with spraying them was that by the time you found them in your field and got the spray applied, it was too late. They are normally not a problem in our area, but we had some weird spring weather and the wasps that normally keep the worms in check hadn't arrived in the area yet.

Others on here will know better, but I heard that the spray can take a couple days to kill them off (time that they spend chewing). Also, most people in my area don't spray any of their hay ground, so it would be another expense that wasn't expected.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Josh in WNY said:


> The problem most people in my area had with spraying them was that by the time you found them in your field and got the spray applied, it was too late. They are normally not a problem in our area, but we had some weird spring weather and the wasps that normally keep the worms in check hadn't arrived in the area yet.
> 
> Others on here will no better, but I heard that the spray can take a couple days to kill them off (time that they spend chewing). Also, most people in my area don't spray any of their hay ground, so it would be another expense that wasn't expected.


Thanks, makes sense. Seem to remember that theme from reading the extensive army worm posts before. As I get older, there is less space in current memory available! :mellow:


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Fall army worms are not hard to kill. They will be curled up and dead with in a few minutes of being sprayed. The hard part for me is early detection. Once they go through a cycle and lay eggs then you have to be on your toes to spray the next hatch. When I see small and large worms grazing together I figure I have missed one cycle.

I wonder how a person would spray corn? Spraying a hay field is relatively easy. Spraying corn would seem more of a challenge.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

Is there a difference between fall army worms and the ones we had here in the spring?


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Hayman1 said:


> Thanks, makes sense. Seem to remember that theme from reading the extensive army worm posts before. As I get older, there is less space in current memory available! :mellow:


I think of it as my 'hard drive' getting full. 

Larry


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

r82230 said:


> I think of it as my 'hard drive' getting full.
> 
> Larry


Have to "defragment" with alcohol every once in a while .....


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Josh in WNY said:


> Is there a difference between fall army worms and the ones we had here in the spring?


Were yours green or brown in color, have a bunch of legs, and consume forage with a voracious appetite? If so, I'm guessing yes.....but I really don't know, they gotta be kin


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Josh in WNY said:


> Is there a difference between fall army worms and the ones we had here in the spring?


 Yes they are different but the outcome is the same. The ones in the spring are called true armyworms.....I have never had to deal with those. The fall armyworm is a major pest here in the south with some years worse than other. As the name implies they occur starting mid summer through fall.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

somedevildawg said:


> Were yours green or brown in color, have a bunch of legs, and consume forage with a voracious appetite? If so, I'm guessing yes.....but I really don't know, they gotta be kin


They looked exactly like the ones shown in the picture of the article, but showed up in May (if I remember correctly). I remember my dad and I being really nervous since we use a later maturing variety of timothy that we harvest in mid to late June. Managed to dodge the bullet though.



FarmerCline said:


> Yes they are different but the outcome is the same. The ones in the spring are called true armyworms.....I have never had to deal with those. The fall armyworm is a major pest here in the south with some years worse than other. As the name implies they occur starting mid summer through fall.


Thanks for the info.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

somedevildawg said:


> Have to "defragment" with alcohol every once in a while .....


how about daily, is that often enough?


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Those that defrag daily keep the doctor away .... Think of it as a fermented Apple


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