09/12/2026
If your lawn has brown patches right now, here’s the fastest way to tell whether it’s drought stress or armyworm damage because they look almost identical but the treatment is completely different.
Drought stress: grab a handful of the brown grass and pull. If it resists and the roots are still in the ground, it’s heat and drought stress, it’ll recover with water and time.
Armyworm damage: grab the same handful and pull. If it lifts like a piece of loose carpet with no resistance at all, armyworms have eaten the root system. The grass is already gone and it won’t recover without treatment.
Armyworms move in large groups and can damage significant sections of lawn in 48 to 72 hours during August and September. If you’re seeing this, don’t wait.
Surface pest treatment is part of every WDB turf program. If you’re not on a program, call us now.
Free estimate at (215) 295-2079