R. Bessin, University of Kentucky Entomology Armyworms overwinter as partially grown larvae in grasses or small grain fields. When warm spring temperatures return, armyworm feeding resumes. When feeding is completed, larvae pupate just below the surface of the soil. Adults of the first generation emerge in April and May and feed on nectar for 7 to 10 days before beginning to lay eggs. There are three to four generations per year in Kentucky .
Armyworms usually feed at night and damage small grains by chewing leaves.
They prefer to feed on the succulent leaves near the top of the plant. Feeding is usually confined to leaf margins, but occasionally they may strip the entire plant. Occasionally, armyworms will clip the heads from maturing plants. Though this is not the normal case, when it happens the resulting loss in yield can be quite substantial. During the day, armyworms are found in the soil or underneath ground cover.