Did you have thinned out dead spots in your lawn last month? Did you know it was probably from armyworms? Armyworms are stout-bodied, hairless, striped caterpillars that chew the foliage of grasses. The name army applies very well as they move across the ground like a feeding army in the hundreds of thousands. They seem to appear overnight and can basically chew turf grasses down to the crown.

The life cycle of the armyworm is near over, but now is the time to repair any dead patches in your lawn. If you still have these critters eating at your lawn, an application of a quality insecticide such as liquid Seven or Talstar will do the trick. The armyworm may have eaten the turf down to the crowns of the grass, and the turf may come back or may not, depending on the amount of damage. One thing is for sure, you probably have spurge, nutsedge or other weeds growing in this thinned out or bare areas and now is the time to repair these areas by re-seeding. Simple tilling, sowing good quality grass seed and applying straw will repair the area. Tilling and installing new sod will also be a instant fix. Frequent watering is a must to keep the newly planted seed or sod moist. Also, lawn aeration and overseeding will help as well. Whichever process you use, repair the bare spots as soon as possible to prevent further weed growth in these areas and to keep your lawn looking its best.