It`s a Turf War

A turf war rages in Jersey. The victims – innocent plots of grass.

The assailants – an invading horde of creepy crawlers aptly called army worms.

Disguised as a routine species of caterpillar, the 1- to 2½-inch nuisance travels in lined regiments, eating lawns and leaving behind them only soil and brown patches where once there grew a green expanse. A month or so after finishing their meal, and after burrowing into the soil, the invaders fly away as moths.

Perhaps in search of greener pastures.

"I`ve been here 23 years, and I haven`t see this before," said Richard Obal, an agricultural agent for the Rutgers Cooperative Extension. "They`ve been doing some pretty severe damage."

Known as the "true army worm," the pests are regulars in the Midwest and South, but are mostly an anomaly in New Jersey.

After the enemy was identified last week, "We said, `What`s this one doing here?"` Obal said.

Mercer and Monmouth counties have so far been the hardest hit, but Burlington, Hunterdon and Somerset have also been engaged by the worms.

Agriculture experts attribute their sudden appearance in the Garden State to the strong winds of Allison, a tropical storm whose remnants blew through from the South in June, likely carrying adult moths along for the trip.

It appears thousands of eggs were laid in shore communities, Obal said.

Such infestations in the state have been rare, and usually in rural areas. Never, as far as Obal can remember, have so many worms with such a ravenous appetite hit this hard – and in so many places.

Homeowners have been caught off guard.

Mickey Dix, of Ocean Township, like many others, first took notice of the worms last week. Nothing he did – mowing his lawn, blowing the worms away with a leaf blower – worked.

"They were all over the place," Dix said.

Finally, after finding a few in his home, he called a landscaper.

Pesticide ultimately did the trick, but landscapers, too, were caught off guard as to what weapon would work best.

Scott Collins of Guardian Landscaping in Freehold, whose company has been fighting the pests in Rumson, Eatontown, Colts Neck and other Monmouth County municipalities, said army worms are a new foe.

"This is unusual for us. We have worms in New Jersey, but not this type," Collins said.

"We`ve seen lawns that are completely destroyed in a couple of days," he said.

Monmouth Park racetrack can attest to that.

Turf racing at the Oceanport track was suspended this week so repairs could be done. It was scheduled to resume on a limited basis with two stakes races Saturday.

"We`re doing what any homeowner needs to do to maintain the grass," said Bob Kulina, the track`s general manager. "But we`re doing it a heck of a lot quicker because it`s part of our business."

While no preventive treatment exists for army worms, they are susceptible to pesticides used against other caterpillars.

Obal expects more infestations as the summer progresses because army worms produce three generations each season.

Just how bad it will get is hard to predict, Obal said he cannot foretell.

"I guess we`ll find out."

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)