SOD webworms turning green grass brown across the Houston area
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Your grass might be dying but its death is not necessarily caused by what you think.
"Big swaths of my lawn are just gone," said Lesley Beyer, a concerned homeowner who lives in northwest Harris County.
She recently took a trip out of town and tells Eyewitness new portions of her lawn went from lush and green to dead in a matter of two days. "I've never seen anything like this, " she said.
Lawn experts say its been at least three decades since they've seen this many yards, this devastated. They are seeing this occur all across the greater Houston area.
"Its more than likely sod web worms," said GardenLine Radio host Randy Lemmon.
He says the Sod Web Worms are flourishing because August was so wet and now it's so hot and humid. They will devour your grass, decimating your yard, unless you treat repeatedly. "It's just a matter of staying vigilant and doing it about 3 times over a 2 week period, a liquid insecticide so you break the egg cycle," said Lemmon.
Local garden stores say they are having trouble keeping insecticides on the shelves. "Absurd. It's absolutely, the phone is ringing off the hook, the customers are trailing in," said James Flaherty at Plants For All Seasons.
Here are ideas on how you can identify and treat for an active infestation.
And take a look at more on what you can do to recover from the damage.
Experts say with this happening in September there is not a lot of time for new grass growth before it goes dormant. That means more opportunity for weeds in your yard come spring, so they advise treating now if possible.
For more on the specific type of treatment Randy Lemmon recommends following this tip sheet.
