Overview
Preventing Sod Webworms Can Be Difficult
But You Can Prevent Extensive Damage
It is tough to prevent the webworm moths from laying eggs in your lawn, especially if there were already worms present in late summer or early fall, since the second generation of worms overwinters in the soil, or goes deep underground to hibernate, and return to the turf to feed and develop into moths in the spring.
However, there are a couple things you can do to help prevent extensive damage to your yard.
Step
1
Properly Maintain Your Lawn
A properly maintained lawn has a better chance at withstanding and rebounding from sod webworm damage.
Also, an overfertilized and over watered lawn can be even more enticing to the moths when laying eggs, so maintaining proper fertilization rates and irrigation in your lawn care schedule will help to keep your lawn healthy but not too attractive to the moths.
Step
2
Reduce Excess Thatch
While sod webworms don't necessarily rely on thatch, a thick, heavy thatch will enable better shelter for the worms during the day when they're resting.
Proper thatch maintenance will reduce this shelter and will also make it easier for you to do your thorough inspection, since the worms will be easier to see when they're near the soil if there is reduced or normal thatch levels.