Insect Alert For

Corn Earworm

Risk Level:
Low
Affected Area:
Full page
Alert Details

An active southwest flow weather pattern will continue through early next week across virtually all of the corn-growing region. As a result, corn earworm migration risks are also present given south to southwest winds already in place across some of the region. High pressure is settling back into the southeast United States while low pressure continues to develop across the Plains. A cold front trails south of the low pressure and will eventually push across the entire corn-growing region by the middle of next week. Before that happens, however, south to southwest winds along with periodic precipitation events may result in isolated to scattered corn earworm moth flights into a good portion of the area. Corn earworms are presently active not only in source regions across the mid-south and southern states, but a flight is also ongoing especially across portions of Illinois at the present time. Low risks are in place tonight into tomorrow morning from the Plains as far east as the Indiana/Ohio line and as far north as central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. Moderate risks then take over Saturday night into Sunday morning from northeast Kansas into southeast Nebraska, northern/central Missouri, Iowa, southeast Minnesota, central and southern Wisconsin, central and northern Illinois and Indiana, lower Michigan, and eventually into Ohio and southwest Ontario, Canada by Sunday night into Monday. Additional Moderate risks are focused mainly east of I-55 and I-57 in Illinois Monday night into Tuesday morning as the cold front pushes east. Growers all across the corn-growing region should monitor their traps and any fields that may be at a susceptible stage to damage as some early planted sweet corn fields are beginning to tassel especially along and south of I-80.