The Wayne County extension service said there is no need to worry about early spring treatment for army worm. They only winter over in the soil as far north as Mexico or the tip of Texas. The army worm came into the U.S. from Central America last year with tropical storms, devastating lawns in Ohio and other states. Check your lawn for other soil insects such as Japanese Beetle Grubs. They usually become active approximately the third week of April in Northeast Ohio. Treatment needs to be applied when the adult grub is Near the lawn surface. Some Granular applications include Bonide annual grub beater containing Merit, Bonide insect and grub control with merit and lambda, Triazicide, and Bio-advanced 24 hour grub killer with trichlor-fan. These insecticides will kill many other insects including army worm. Apply before good rainfall.
Over seed the lawn now where needed. Then use a starter fertilizer such as 5-10-10, or Milorganite where over seeding is done. Be sure not to apply any crabgrass preventer over the newly seeded areas unless it has an ingredient in it that specifies you can apply at the same time
