Insect Alert For

Western Bean Cutworm

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

Western bean cutworm risks continue especially across the Great Lakes region and into southeast Canada as well as a small area of northeast Nebraska, southeast South Dakota, and far northwest Iowa where trap counts continue to indicate moth flights. Overall, however, the annual flight of this insect is beginning to wane in many areas with the exception of the eastern Great Lakes where heat unit accumulations are lagging and moth flights are still being observed in some fields. Moderate risks will continue across especially west central into central and far eastern lower Michigan as well as into southern Ontario and southwest Quebec, Canada through the next five days. The Moderate risk in central and northern Wisconsin has been removed from the forecast as the flight has subsided across much of this state and heat unit accumulations indicate that the flight is largely complete in that area. Moderate western bean cutworm risks do continue in northeast Nebraska, southeast South Dakota, and far northwest Iowa as trap counts from this area are actually increasing in some locations which indicates that the moth flight is still ongoing in this specific area. Low risks continue to exist from Nebraska and South Dakota east through Minnesota, northern and central Iowa, far northern Illinois, Wisconsin, lower Michigan, far northern Indiana, far northern Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, northwest and upstate New York, and southern Ontario and southwest Quebec, Canada. Growers especially located in the Moderate risk areas should continue to monitor crops, especially those at susceptible stages to damage, until the annual flight subsides and crops move past critical growth stages.