EBC trap catches remain fairly low this week at most locations.  Z race moths remain moderate or increasing at a couple of sites.  Corn earworm numbers have decreased, with no catches at many  locations, and the highest catch this wee at four.  No fall armyworm were caught this week.  A single western bean cutworm was reported from Kennedy, and another site that is part of the western bean cutworm trap network caught a moth this week as well.  This is the beginning of the flight.

I’m seeing and hearing about fields at the tassel emergence stage with very high infestations of ECB and CEW larvae in the tassel.  Scout tassel emergence stage fields as soon as you able to see down into the entire tassel, and time sprays carefully for maximum effectiveness.  In uneven fields, be sure to re-scout unemerged tassels to see if another application is needed.

Silking fields in areas with low trap catches may not need additional sprays if the tassel emergence applications were effective.  Where ECB and CEW moths are still being caught, additional applications may be needed to prevent larvae from entering the ear.  Scout the “ear zone” for ECB egg masses and newly emerged larvae.  The treatment threshold for silking corn is 5% infested plants.