A female moth can lay up to 500 eggs, and, if conditions are right, all can hatch in as little as three days. Once hatched, they'll eat multiples of their weight before they burrow underground to mature. Sansone said the Big Country faces only a few weeks of being bugged before the moths migrate north to cooler, wetter climes. Area homeowners will welcome their departure. But considering a large infestation can devastate an entire field in the span of 72 hours, Sansone's prediction may come too late for area farmers.
Cost is a major consideration for the city parks as well.
Bob Cheatham, superintendent of roughly 1,000 acres of parks in Abilene, said his crews will treat for worms on an as-needed basis only in the most developed gardens. Most of the insecticides used to curb their numbers have a short life span, so mass treatments would not be cost effective. And there are simply too many out there to do much good. E.W. Scripps Publications , All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement .