Lawn Moths & Sod Webworms

What Are Sod Webworms?

Sod webworms are the larvae of lawn moths. They live in the root level of your lawn and munch up the grass leaves. At the 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.

Webworm Lawn Damage

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.

How to Kill Sod Webworms

• Early treatment is key. At the first sign of webworm damage, treat your lawn with Ortho® BugClear™ Insect Killer for Lawns & Landscapes Concentrate. It can be used in a tank sprayer or connected to your hose with the Ortho® Dial N' Spray Hose End Sprayer. It will start killing webworms, as well as other listed insects, within minutes.
• Regular maintenance is the best defense. Routinely feeding your lawn provides the nutrients your grass 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).