Reminiscing with My Brother about Armyworms

During one of our recent, more comfortable days, I visited my brother, William F. "Bud" Weber, who is 92. I was born on his 6th birthday. He is a former mayor of Eureka. During the Eureka Days Parade a few years ago, he was recognized with a ceremony in which he was declared the man of the year.

He likes to relive occasions of interest of the past. Because this was a nice August day and the recent cicada invasion is over, we discussed that back in the 1930s during the hot, dry years, after we had cicadas, one August we were invaded with armyworms.

There were millions of the little fellows, from 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. As they moved across fields of grass and corn, their great appetite did huge damage.

We did not have the benefit of computers and ready information on control and management of problems as we do today. We made up our own methods with what we had.

At that time we used three head of mares and mules to pull a one-plow walking plow. So we would plow a single furrow along a field about to be invaded. Then as the worms made their way into the furrow and were trapped, we would drench them with gasoline and light it up.

Now there is a multitude of chemicals to control them. We are told they feed on a variety of grasses, such as hay and small grains and corn.  After two to three weeks, the larvae mature into moths, which then mate and lay their eggs and go off and die.

To help us our in the control of the larva stage, a flock of blackbirds arrived and ate them by the thousands and time passed, and the threat was over. Funny thing, I don't remember another invasion of that magnitude since.