2017 Western Bean Cutworm Moth Flight

The annual western bean cutworm moth flight is just beginning across the corn-growing region, with the first moths caught in traps in the usual active locations for this insect across the central Plains states and Great Lakes region in the past week. In areas where this insect has been problematic in the past few years, especially from Wisconsin east into Michigan, northern Indiana, northern Ohio, and into Ontario and Quebec, Canada, growers are encouraged to set their traps and monitor moth flights over the next several weeks as the flight intensifies. It is also important to scout fields and look for egg masses and any new larvae especially where moth flights have already occurred or are particularly intense to determine if treatment is necessary based on population, damage, and crop stage.