Letters – Fall armyworms are on the march

To the Editor:

In the past two weeks have begun seeing Fall Armyworms in pastures in the southern and far eastern parts of Caldwell County. It would be a good idea to take a walk out into your pastures and look for evidence of Fall Armyworms now before they get a chance to develop and become a serious and devastating nuisance to your fields and pastures.

Fall Arm

yworms can be most easily identified by observing a light colored upside down Y shape on the face. There are a number of effective treatments available for fall army worms. One option is using Rynaxypyr (Prevathon) which was registered by DuPont for control of fall armyworm and other caterpillars in pasture and hay in 2012. Prevathon has a 0 day waiting period for harvest or grazing and is not a restricted use insecticide. The product has shown very good and effective results in areas in the county where it has been used.

For other recommendations or for specimen identification, give me a call at (512)398-3122, email me at Michael.Haynes@ag.tamu.edu, or come by our offices at 1403 Blackjack St. in Lockhart.

Michael V. Haynes

CEA – Ag/NR, Caldwell County

Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension Service