Armyworms

.
While checking the cow-calf herd at JLOR Farm this morning, I noticed several worms creeping toward the water trough. I had never seen them in past days, and wondered what they were. Then I remembered that our neighbors, Richard and Marsha, had an infestation of armyworms on their pastures this past weekend. So I called Jim and Lori and asked them to describe the little critters.
..
Armyworms are bad news. Here's a quote from wiki.bugwood.org: "In late summer, almost every year, armyworms invade pastures, hay fields, and turfgrass throughout the state. Particularly in pastures and hay fields, damage may be severe before the worms are noticed. The grass is not killed, but hay yield and forage can be reduced to almost nothing over whole fields in extreme cases."
.
.
I looked on our pasture, and there was a regiment of them deployed there, too. (Both pictures above were taken at Aurora Farm.) The man who can spray our pasture with insecticide works for the Lindale Fire Department and was on duty today -- so he can't take care of these bad boys until tomorrow at noon.
.
These are events we can't really plan for -- when they happen, we just have to deal with them. Armyworms are bad for our farm (and pocketbook) since they can eat a whole pasture in 24 to 48 hours -- grass that was for the cattle can disappear very quickly.
.
But I know that "He (God) causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, (Psalm 104:14)" and he will restore whatever the armyworms have eaten.
.
Pray for us. Some days are challenging.