Insect Alert For

Corn Earworm

Risk Level:
Low
Affected Area:
Full page
Alert Details

A low pressure system and attendant cold front will be moving across the southern Great Lakes and central/eastern corn growing region in the next 24 hours. Showers and thunderstorms will continue to the southeast of the front, and south to southwest winds to the south of areas of thunderstorms may provide the necessary corridor for corn earworm migration from source regions in the mid-south. Despite a favorable weather pattern for migration, risks are being kept in the Low category as the majority of corn fields are not at a susceptible stage to damage at this point in the growing season, and recent trap counts from the mid-south show generally lower corn earworm trap counts at this time. Additionally, crops in the mid-south are more attractive to corn earworms at this time so movement should be much less to the north. Nonetheless, fresh-market and vegetable growers should continue to monitor their fields/gardens and take appropriate action if/when needed. A break in the migration risk is predicted tomorrow night into Friday morning as much of the corn-growing region shifts into a brief period of northwest flow behind the cold front. Low risks are back in the forecast, however, by Friday night into Saturday morning mainly west of I-57 and Lake Michigan and as far north as I-94, and then as far east as I-75 by Saturday night into Sunday morning as south to southwest winds increase ahead of the next southeastward-advancing cold front.