CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fall army worms have reportedly taken over neighborhoods across the Charlotte area.
The invasive, grass-eating bug is as small as a caterpillar but still destructive enough to cause thousands of dollars worth of damage. Experts said they've migrated from the South, and while they aren’t exactly new to the area, the bugs are feeding on foliage like never before.
“They may have actually been traveling through the various storms we've had, I guess, because of how overnight people seem to be seeing them,” said Chris Snodgrass, a sales associate at BlackHawk Hardware who specializes in lawn care.
Fall army worms won't hurt people; they don't bite. But according to Snodgrass, they're capable of causing real damage to your yard.
“Once they get on the foliage and especially our lawns, they seem to just wanna eat everything down to the bare root," Snodgrass said.
The best way to deal with these pests is to treat your lawn every three months.
“Stick with granular treatments, either your Ortho Home Defense or triazicide base,” Snodgrass said.
A bag of insecticide costs about $15 but can end up saving you hundreds to thousands in the long run.
“It's worth it, especially if you're finding the evidence," Snodgrass said. "You're going to want to look for some of your low-lying tree branches, where they tend to lay the eggs, first, and then when they hatch is when they tend to attack the lawns."
The good news lies in their name; the fall army worm does damage during fall. Once the cooler weather arrives, the bugs will quit eating your yard.
