Insect Alert For

Corn Earworm

Risk Level:
Low
Affected Area:
Full page
Alert Details

An active weather pattern is predicted to continue across the corn-growing region through the early to middle portion of next week. As a result, corn earworm migration possibilities remain in the forecast as well, with a Moderate risk now predicted across a portion of the central and eastern Midwest early next week. South to southwesterly winds will continue to blow north and northeast from source regions especially focused from northern Texas and Oklahoma east into the mid-south region of Arkansas and eventually western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. Low risks are initially in place tonight into tomorrow morning across mainly Kansas, Nebraska, northwest Missouri, and western Iowa, but they do expand north and east into the Mississippi River valley by Saturday night into Sunday morning as low pressure continues to deepen across the Plains states and high pressure reestablishes itself across the southeast United States. By early next week, a cold front is predicted to push through most, if not all, of the corn-growing region. South to southwest winds in advance of the front are likely to originate in a more favorable corn earworm source region so Moderate risks are now in place for central/northern Illinois into southern Wisconsin, southwest Michigan, and northern Indiana for next Monday night and Tuesday morning as this front moves through. Precipitation is predicted to be widespread along this front and may serve as insect drop-out regions especially near and in the Moderate risk area. Growers are urged to continue to monitor traps across much of the corn-growing region in the next week so an assessment of the level of corn earworm present in the fields can be completed in preparation for later generations this summer when crops will be at susceptible stages to damage.