Armyworms are infesting the crops in Balamban town, Cebu. | Photo credits to Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7) reported an armyworm infestation that has damaged the crops in Balamban town, 52.7 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.
On a post at the DA-7’s official Facebook page on Thursday, February 7, the agency revealed that at least 3.4 hectares of a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda)-accredited agricultural learning center in Sitio Cantuod have already been affected by the pest.
The post did not specify the affected crops but photos taken of the affected crops included a squash patch.
Armyworms are infesting the crops in Balamban town, Cebu. | Photo credits to Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas
Wilberto Castillo, chief of DA-7’s Integrated Laboratory Division (ILD), said the armyworms, or Mythimna separata, are caterpillars that travel in groups and destroys any kind of vegetation, including grasses and grains.
Castillo said the armyworms have a tendency to continue destroying entire fields until the food source is exhausted.
These nocturnal pests, which often appear after a continuous dry spell, should be closely monitored by farmers and agriculturists because if they are not controlled immediately, they can cause a major pest outbreak.
Armyworms are infesting the crops in Balamban town, Cebu. | Photo credits to Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas
Castillo said a single female armyworm will lay eggs of up to 1,000-2,000 eggs in two weeks and can easily destroy fields in a matter of days.
Castillo urged farmers to closely monitor their farms for any presence of damage-causing insect pests and recommended that they use Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana, Bacillus thuringensis and Nucleopolyhedro virus (NDV) pesticides to control and manage the occurrence of pests like the armyworm. /elb