Western bean cutworms are beginning to emerge across the usual “hot spot” regions for this particular insect, including northern Indiana, northwest Ohio, southern lower Michigan, and also in the central Plains (far northern Kansas into southern Nebraska). While most crops are not at a susceptible stage to damage and these early moths may have more difficulty finding suitable hosts in comparison to the past few years due to record late planting, there are always some early-planted fields (especially in the Plains) that may be near susceptible stages of damage at this point. Low risks are in the forecast across these areas to serve as an awareness that the annual moth flight has commenced, and that trapping/scouting efforts should now be taking place until the flight subsides and/or the crop moves past critical growth stages later this summer.