Insect Alert For

Corn Earworm

Risk Level:
No Risk
Affected Area:
No risk Full page
Alert Details

Corn earworm migration possibilities return to the corn-growing region by Saturday night into Sunday morning and continue into next week. There is an active moth generation present across the mid-south and into the southern states right now, with trap captures at or above average for this time of year in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Some of these moths are predicted to move north and northeast in the coming week, especially with a potent low pressure system moving through the Plains and upper Midwest and high pressure across the southeast resulting in a favorable south to southwesterly flow from these active source regions northeast into the Midwest. Low risks are initially in place across eastern Kansas into Missouri, Illinois, southeast Nebraska, much of Iowa, and far southern Wisconsin on Saturday night into Sunday morning as southerly winds start to increase during this period. A Moderate risk is in place from eastern Kansas and Nebraska into Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois on Sunday night into Monday, with the Moderate risk then spreading east into Indiana, Ohio, western Kentucky, and far southwest Michigan by Monday night into Tuesday as a cold front pushes southeast and focuses more favorable winds into the eastern Midwest. Growers all across the corn-growing region are reminded that this first generation flight does not directly impact crops at this point, but the second generation that results from the first later in the growing season will have impacts later this summer. Thus, it is recommended that trap counts and moth activity are monitored over all of the risk areas in the next week or so to provide an indication of activity and population that this first generation contains.