Insect Alert For

Black Cutworm

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

A very active weather pattern is likely to stay in place across the corn-growing region for the next week or more, with multiple weather systems expected to impact much of the area through the period. With the active pattern also comes the potential for black cutworm migration events. The first risk window is overnight tonight into tomorrow especially along/south of the US 30 corridor from eastern Nebraska east into Iowa, northern Illinois, and potentially into Indiana and points south. Showers and thunderstorms are likely along/north of a warm front draped near this highway corridor, and the potential for isolated moth flights exists along/south of where the main precipitation bands set up. By the weekend, however, risks increase further with continued southerly winds feeding into the corn-growing region east of a cold front and low pressure system in the Plains states. Moderate risks are in place tomorrow night into Saturday from Iowa into far southeast Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, and northern Illinois with Low risks east into the southern Great Lakes and eastern corn-growing region. Moderate risks continue in the forecast Saturday night into Sunday but further east into lower Michigan and northern Indiana. As this system departs, Low risks will focus across the eastern growing areas early next week. Growers should be advised to not only check newly-emerged corn for signs of black cutworms but also monitor traps especially in areas where planting has been greatly limited so far this growing season. Flights now will likely have a potential impact on newly-emerged corn come June.