Food Plots Army Worms

Tennessee Deer Sporting & Deer Hunting Community Forum

Help Support TNDeer | Tennessee Deer:

Saw a farmers video from Wartrace yesterday. He cut hay, and had a 2 in layer thick of the creepy crawleys on the top of his mower. I've never seen anything like it
 
I have a nice clover plot in my backyard. Replanted half of it last year and its been really productive and looking great. Deer feed in it every day. Now I've noticed I've got army worms in the yard. Didn't really notice them in the clover plot, but did notice I don't see a single piece of clover in the plot and the deer have stopped coming around.
Wondering if the army worms took out the clover? If they did, they got every stitch of it.
 
Are there any telltale signs of army worms after the fact? Just checked my plots Friday and a couple have simply vanished. Two weeks ago, lush and green newly growing cereal rye. Now, bare dirt. Never seen anything like it. No standing dead plants even.
 
BSK said:
Are there any telltale signs of army worms after the fact? Just checked my plots Friday and a couple have simply vanished. Two weeks ago, lush and green newly growing cereal rye. Now, bare dirt. Never seen anything like it. No standing dead plants even
Click to expand...
I would say that is what you had if you are in Humphreys co. They may still be in some surrounding plants. Check the underside of the leaves or shake the surrounding plants and you can find them. When they hit an area all that will be left is dirt. It amazing.
When you plant back spray some Warrior over top about 3-4 days post emergence.
 
I held off on planting my plots earlier due to the threat of army worms. I've got all of them disked and ready to sow. Now I'm just waiting on a decent chance of rain.
 
JhnDeereMan said:
I would say that is what you had if you are in Humphreys co. They may still be in some surrounding plants. Check the underside of the leaves or shake the surrounding plants and you can find them. When they hit an area all that will be left is dirt. It amazing.
When you plant back spray some Warrior over top about 3-4 days post emergence.
Click to expand...
Helpful information. Thanks.

But all that time, money and energy put into those now gone plots... o_O
 
I have them too. I thought the plots were just drying up, but it's army worms
 

Attachments

  • 8D6CDED3-58B6-4D84-A97E-4B6DFD5A273D.jpeg
    8D6CDED3-58B6-4D84-A97E-4B6DFD5A273D.jpeg
    372.3 KB
TnKen said:
What is ,if any, your replanting plan?
Click to expand...
Probably wait until late (mid-October) then broadcast wheat and clover. Drag with harrow to get some soil on top the seed.

Strangely, it was just the cereal rye plots that got hammered. Winter wheat plots fine.
 
jeez, that sucks... I'm planting my plots Wednesday before all this forecasted rain. 900lbs of seed going into the ground, about $500 worth... I'm going to lose my mind if I get hit by them.
 
BSK said:
Are there any telltale signs of army worms after the fact? Just checked my plots Friday and a couple have simply vanished. Two weeks ago, lush and green newly growing cereal rye. Now, bare dirt. Never seen anything like it. No standing dead plants even.
Click to expand...
Yep. Army worms.
 
Fortunately my experience over the years with army worms has been about 1 out of 10 years you will have a flare up with them. This has by far been the worst but hopefully we won't see them again for a while.

Like BSK said we can wait until 10/10-10/15 range to re plant and be ok. If you will put a heavy dose of nitrogen on when you plant it will green up fast as the soil temp will still be up then
 
JhnDeereMan said:
Like BSK said we can wait until 10/10-10/15 range to re plant and be ok. If you will put a heavy dose of nitrogen on when you plant it will green up fast as the soil temp will still be up then
Click to expand...
That's what I plan on doing, broadcast ammonium nitrate, then the seed, and then dragging.
 
Well guys. We have had another push of army worm moths into the region at least Southern Montgomery Co. The areas that I had them mid August and killed them out by spraying came back and was looking lush and green with all the rain.

I noticed a couple of yellow spots yesterday afternoon and inspected closer today and there they were again in the same fields. So I sprayed after the rain quit this afternoon.

Between the army worms and southern rust that blew in with the first hurricane these plots have been a battle.
 
Hearing same thing from homeowners in my region. Sprayed/killed army worms month or so ago and the second round is here now. These are bermuda lawns, not food plots. This has been one of the worse Army worm years I can remember, for lawns, hay fields and food plots, from Clarksdale, MS to TN/KY border.
 
Last edited:
Andy S. said:
This has been one of the worse Army worm years I can remember, for lawns, hat fields and food plots, from Clarksdale, MS to TN/KY border.
Click to expand...
Ag Extension agent my BIL talked to said the same thing. Worst infestation in many years.
 
BSK said:
Are there any telltale signs of army worms after the fact? Just checked my plots Friday and a couple have simply vanished. Two weeks ago, lush and green newly growing cereal rye. Now, bare dirt. Never seen anything like it. No standing dead plants even.
Click to expand...
Sounds like my plots. Unfortunately they ate everything except the excessive nutgrass I have obtained.
 
3 of mine got hit this week. All were a mixture of brassica & cereal grain. They wiped out the grain but didn't touch the brassica. Also, as far as I can tell none have attacked our clover either. Another reason to plant more clover 😁
 

Latest posts

Back
Top