Ask Burton: Q: Today, we’re not answering A question someone has asked regarding their lawn and patio – but rather we’re talking about the overwhelming single most common issue brought to us this month! We talked about it once recently, in fact, but it bears bringing up again.

ARMYWORMS.

The adult moths are flying everywhere. The caterpillars are everywhere. This is the worst year for them in my experience. Armyworms are rarely a serious problem, but the conditions have lined up just right for this to be a year we remember for quite a while.

It’s probably a good idea to treat your lawn right now to prevent the armyworms from stripping your lawn badly. Armyworms tend to love your Bermudagrass most of all, but they’ll feed on other turfgrasses or plants when food is scarce. Several insecticides work well against this problem – there is more than one “right” answer, but our Bonide Insect & Grub is easy to apply and effective, also any insecticide containing bifenthrin, permethrin, malathion, B.T., or spinosad can get the job done.

Now, the good news – even if the armyworms get to you, they don’t feed on the roots of your turfgrass, so although the grass will be weakened and not attractive, you’re not generally going to have your entire yard wiped out.

(But we’d recommend not letting it get to that point.)