Lawn Moths Do No Damage
In Pinellas County, during the summer months, it is common to see the little white moths darting about a foot or two above the turf – especially in the shady areas and at night. These lawn moths do NO damage to your lawn – yes, they are a nuisance, but they do no damage to the lawn.
Lawn Moths are Everywhere
The lawn moths are ubiquitous in Pinellas County. They live in ditches, roadsides, vacant lots, and the shady areas of your lawn. And they are very mobile, flying into your lawn from untreated areas. Even after treatment, your lawn can be quickly repopulated by lawn moths from untreated areas.
Lawn Moths Lay Eggs
The moths are laying eggs that hatch out into tiny caterpillars. These tiny caterpillars, called sod webworms, feed on the grass. According to Wikipedia: The Sod Webworm, ... is distributed practically worldwide, with approximately 100 species recognized in the United States alone. Under certain conditions, 1000’s of sod webworms can hatch, start feeding, and defoliate an entire lawn in one night.
What Sod Webworms do to a Lawn
Sod webworms feed by chewing across the base of the leaf, felling it like a miniature lumberjack cutting down a forest of leaves. Their feeding is random. Sod webworm damage often appears as an odd-shaped area that has been mowed and will have a grey cast due to the cut leaves drying out and turning grey.
Sod Webworms Damage but Rarely Kill a St Augustine Lawn
Sod webworms rarely destroy or kill an established lawn. Once the sod webworms are eliminated, the lawn will quickly recover. Note: This is not true for freshly planted sod. Sod webworm damage to newly installed sod that has not been rooted in is fatal. It is always good practice to treat newly installed sod with an insecticide during sod webworm season – May through October.
Sod Webworms are Easily Controlled
Since sod webworms are small and voracious feeders living at or near the soil surface, any good insecticide will eliminate sod webworms. Liquid applications are better than granular insecticides. Most insecticides have an 8 - 12-week residual for sod webworms. Repeat applications may be required during sod webworm season due to constant egg laying by lawn moths.
