08/08/2025
HUTCHINSON & WICHITA
It’s been a month since our last Fall Armyworm activity— this time with a new generation. Reports are coming in from across Hutchinson and Wichita, with caterpillars currently small (⅜"–½" long) but growing fast. They’ll likely be active for the next 7–10 days, so now is the best time to check your lawn and take action before they get bigger and cause more damage.
How to Identify Armyworms:
Young: light green in color
Mature: up to 1.5" long, tan to olive-green, with stripes along each side
Light-colored, inverted “Y” on the head
Four black dots on the back of each abdominal segment
Where to Look:
Tall Fescue and Bermudagrass lawns
Look for brown/ragged patches, small green pellets (droppings), or fresh chewing damage
Check lawns at sunrise or sunset when they’re most active — they hide during the heat of the day
Quick Test:
Mix 1 Tbsp liquid dish soap with 1 gallon of water and pour over a 4' x 4' area near damaged turf. If present, armyworms will crawl up where you can see them. Test several spots to be sure.
Why It Matters:
Kansas may see one or two more generations this season. Each female moth can lay up to 2,000 eggs, and populations can grow quickly. Scout your lawn regularly — twice a week during peak activity — and mark your calendar to check again in about 4 weeks. Early action is key to preventing serious lawn damage.
In Kansas, we can still anticipate another generation or two of Fall Armyworm this year, depending on the pattern. Each new generation occurs approximately every 23-25 days, and often generations can overlap. It will be important to mark your calendars to look for Fall Armyworm again in four weeks, as each generation’s population can grow exponentially larger (although that's not guaranteed), with each adult female moth laying up to 2,000 eggs per adult. Fall Armyworm populations have the potential to grow in number each month through September, so it will be a good idea to scout your lawn regularly this year for the caterpillars (up to twice per week when Fall Armyworms are most active).