Insect Alert For

Corn Earworm

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

An active weather week is predicted across a large portion of the corn-growing region. Continued corn earworm migration risks are predicted this week with an eventual risk shift into the Great Lakes and eastern Midwest by the end of the week and into next weekend. Moderate risks are in place each of the next five nights with a rather persistent area of high pressure staying in place across the Tennessee River valley and low pressure systems/associated cold fronts continuing to traverse across the Plains and Midwest with south to southwest winds in between. Moderate risks are in place tonight into tomorrow morning across southern Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and southern Iowa with low risks north to the Minnesota/Iowa border and east into Illinois. Moderate risks remain primarily across Kansas, western Missouri, southwest Iowa, and southern Nebraska tomorrow night into Wednesday morning as a weak cool front begins to work south into the heart of the corn-growing region. By the extended portion of the forecast period (late week into next weekend), a stronger cold front is predicted to develop in the Plains and upper Midwest. This front should push across the entire corn-growing region by next weekend with Moderate corn earworm migration risks in place along and east of the front especially as high pressure moves back into the southeast United States. Moderate risks start out in the Plains and western Midwest on Wednesday night but do eventually expand east into the Mississippi River valley and eventually the Great Lakes region and eastern Midwest by late week and next weekend. Growers are advised that scattered moth flights may have occurred over the weekend and those with crops at sensitive stages to damage from this particular insect are urged to monitor traps and field activity, and to continue to monitor for new moth flights throughout the next week.