According to an article this week in Southeast Farm Press, entomologists say that this year’s infestation of fall armyworms is the worst that they have seen since the 1970s. According to the story, “There were many elements that led to this massive infestation. The biggest factor was the perfect storm of environmental conditions. These conditions allowed armyworms to not only survive the winter but to thrive once warm weather arrived.” In addition to the weather, producers also had trouble getting enough insecticides due to supply chain issues from the pandemic. The damage to forage means that farmers will have to carefully assess their fall and winter feeding to make sure they have enough to meet the needs of their livestock.
