Insect Alert For

Black Cutworm

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

A cold front is expected to push southeast through the corn-growing region over the next 24-36 hours. To the east of the front, south to southwest winds will be rather strong and may result in some scattered black cutworm moth flights from source regions in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys northeast into especially the Great Lakes region overnight tonight. Moderate black cutworm migration risks are predicted from eastern Wisconsin into lower Michigan and southern Ontario, Canada where the greatest risk of black cutworm problems may occur next month due to lagged planting progress thus far this spring. Low risks extend from Iowa and southeast Minnesota to the western edge of the Appalachian Mountains and into Ontario, Canada, as well. A low migration risk is also in the forecast late Friday into Saturday morning across portions of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois as the next low pressure system develops in the Plains. The low risk extends east into the Great Lakes region Saturday night into Sunday as another cold front moves east. Growers all across the corn-growing region, especially those with newly-emerged corn, should be scouting fields as black cutworm flights have been more frequent and generally higher in population this year in comparison to the past.