Sod Webworm = Disaster!

Hopefully your yard doesn't look like this, but if it does, it's not the end of the world. It just means that you have a major infestation of a Utah turf pest called the Sod Webworm. The good news is- it's treatable. Once the larvae of the Sod Webworm hatches into the soil, it feeds on grass, thus, destroying patches of your lawn. You can usually tell if the damage is from the Webworm or from a... "land mine" (pet droppings), or an accidental overdose of weed-killer, by simply pulling out a dead patch of grass. If the grass is pulled up easily without any resistance and you see small, light-colored moths, you have a case of the Sod Webworm. 

The life-cycle of the Sod Webworm:

• Winter- No to little activity while larvae is in immature silk lined chambers. 
• Spring- The weather heats up and the larvae matures as they eat grass and turf, which happens mostly during the night. The females produce approx 60 eggs per day for two weeks. The eggs hatch one week later. 
• Late Summer and Fall- Once the weather gets hot, the hatched eggs will feed on the grass for approx 1-2 months before becoming an adult, and the cycle continues two more times before the winter freeze. 

If you don't want your lawn looking like a checker board, get this issue resolved immediately by proper watering, fertilizing, aerating, and having the correct pest control products applied to the surviving areas or your yard.