Insect Alert For

Western Bean Cutworm

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

Above average temperatures are expected for the next five days and likely beyond across much of the corn-growing region. As a result, western bean cutworm development and emergence will increase at a faster rate and much of the central and southern corn-growing region is expected to reach 25-50% emergence thresholds in the next week with some areas potentially seeing their peak flights occur especially in Nebraska and Kansas. Moth counts and potential egg-laying will become an increasing threat and scouting is strongly recommended in the Moderate and High risk areas especially from Nebraska and Kansas where counts are already in the hundreds of moths per night at some locations but also further east into southern Iowa, northern Missouri, and eventually Illinois where heat unit accumulations reach critical emergence stages for this particular insect. Low development risks are also predicted as far north as South Dakota and southern Wisconsin and southern Michigan by the end of the five day period.