Insect Alert For

Corn Earworm

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

A continued active and progressive weather pattern is predicted across much of the corn-growing region in the next week. The result will be continued corn earworm migration risks throughout the corn-growing region as a cold front moves through much of the region this week. The front should return back north by next weekend, resulting in additional corn earworm migration risks by that time. At the start of the period, however, Moderate migration risks are in place from eastern Kansas east into Illinois and as far north as the US 20 corridor in northern Iowa and northern Illinois tonight into tomorrow morning as a corridor of stronger south to southwest winds are expected to set up from source regions in Oklahoma and Arkansas. As the cold front moves slowly southeast, wind flow should become increasingly from the west by tomorrow night into Wednesday morning but still with a southerly component and generally weaker, so only Low risks are in place mainly southeast of a line from Wichita, Kansas to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Low risks continue mainly southeast of a line from near Wichita to near Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday night into Thursday morning as the cold front pushes southeast. A break in the migration risk is then predicted Thursday night into Friday as largely northwest flow dominates the weather. Low risks return to the Plains and western Midwest mainly south of I-90 by Friday night into Saturday morning as southerly winds develop ahead of a new low pressure system that should form in the western Plains and the front moves back north as a warm front next weekend. Fresh market and vegetable growers should pay especially close attention in the next several days as a corn earworm flight may be able to occur further north than in comparison to the past few weeks.