Insect Alert For

Black Cutworm

Risk Level:
Moderate Risk Level
Affected Area:
Full page
Alert Details

A strong low pressure system will move across the corn-growing region over the next few days. As it does so, gusty southerly winds to the south of a warm front which is draped from west to east across the heart of the corn-growing region between I-70 and I-80 will provide the opportunity for scattered black cutworm moth flights into especially the central and eastern corn-growing region over the next two nights. Moderate risks are in place tonight into tomorrow morning from eastern Kansas into Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois, with Low risks as far north as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and lower Michigan and east into Ohio. The Moderate risks then shift east with an eastward-advancing cold front tomorrow night into Friday morning, and are mainly focused across Indiana, northern Kentucky, Ohio, lower Michigan, and into southern Ontario, Canada. Growers should be advised that there is no immediate threat to any crops/fields at this time, but this flight could result in additional generations that develop over the next month that could impact newly-emerged corn especially in early-mid May. No additional migration risks are predicted after midday Friday as the system departs and northwest flow locks back in across much of the corn-growing region.