October holds the promise of cold weather, first frosts and, for many, the blessed end of the march of the fall armyworms, a season-long invasion that plagued farmers, ranchers and homeowners across the country this year.
 
But don't let that welcome chill comfort you too long. This year's fall armyworm epidemic -- the worst in nearly five decades by some entomologists' estimates -- may be ending, but this level of armyworm infestation could happen more frequently in the years to come, warned Auburn University Extension Entomologist Katelyn Kesheimer.
 
"We had the perfect storm of events that led to this snowballing effect that let them take over the entire country," Kesheimer said. "But if you look at what those storm components were -- a warm winter, lots of tropical storm systems and potential spray failures -- those are going to become more common moving forward and chances are that they will line up again before the next 50 years. We need to be prepared for that."
 
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