How to Control Sod Webworms in the Lawn

These lawn moth larvae can kill a lawn quickly. Keep your lawn strong and learn the warning signs.

Description

Sod webworms are the larvae of lawn moths. They live in the root level of your lawn and munch up the grass leaves. They can kill an entire lawn in a matter of days. When the weather turns hot, patches of your grass may start to turn brown. If you see little moths flying above your grass at dusk, and the brown patches start to get larger, you could have sod webworms.

Look for saucer-sized brown patches where your lawn is driest. The centers of the patches may have been eaten away and replaced by weeds. At root level, you'll see small white tubes made of silky web. At dusk, you might even see the worms themselves. They're about 1/4 - 3/4 inch long.

What To Do

Regular feedings provide the nutrients your lawn needs to grow strong to better protect itself from insect damage.
Your lawn will begin to wilt when water is needed. As much as possible take advantage of nature's sprinkler and rely on the rain to water your lawn. If using sprinklers, water lawns deeply and infrequently (1" of water per week is all that your lawn needs).
Identify and control the problem early with a product labeled for sob webworms.