Insect Alert For

Corn Earworm

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

An active week of weather is in store for much of the corn-growing region as no less than two cold fronts are predicted to pass through at least a portion of the central United States by next weekend. With the active weather pattern comes the possibility for corn earworm moth flights as well. Moderate migration risks are in the forecast for four of the next five days with much of the corn-growing region along and north of I-80 impacted by these risks. Moderate risks are in place tonight into tomorrow morning across northeast Iowa, northern Illinois, extreme southeast Minnesota, central and southern Wisconsin, northwest Indiana, and southwest and west central Michigan as low pressure deepens rapidly along/west of the I-35 corridor and as south to southwest winds increase to the east of the front. Precipitation will continue to be widespread east of the front, and this could serve as insect drop zones and could also limit some flights to the north, thus the Moderate risk versus a High risk given ongoing and expected precipitation today. Moderate risks continue tomorrow night into Thursday morning across northeast Indiana, southeast lower Michigan, southwest Ontario, Canada, and northern Ohio as the cold front moves east. Only a Low risk is in place in between fronts on Thursday night into Friday morning across Nebraska, Kansas, western Missouri, and into western Iowa. By the weekend, the next low pressure system begins to take shape across the Plains and southerly winds increase once again as high pressure moves into the eastern United States. Southerly winds are predicted to originate in favorable source regions across the mid-south, so Moderate risks are already in the forecast for Friday night into Saturday generally along/west of I-35 from central Iowa north into Minnesota and points west into Nebraska and eastern South Dakota as well as far western Wisconsin. Moderate risks continue Saturday night into Sunday mainly to the east of I-35 to Lake Michigan and I-57 in Illinois. Growers especially along and north of I-80 should prepare for new corn earworm moth arrivals with some locally intense flights, in the next week.