European corn borer numbers have increased from last week at several locations, and  egg masses were found in a field in the early tassel stage in Yates county and a field in Erie county.  Corn earworm moths are being caught in numbers higher than we have seen at this time of year.  While we usually think of corn earworm laying eggs on silks and primarily damaging the ear, they will feed on whorl stage corn if silk stage is not available.  Feeding resembles that of fall armyworm more than European corn borer. Find photos of corn earworm damage on whorl stage corn here.  Low numbers of fall armyworm were caught at a couple of locations.

Fields in or approaching the tassel stage in areas with high moth counts should receive an insecticide application this week to control newly hatched ECB and CEW larvae.  Keep in mind that there have been reports of pyrethroid resistance in corn earworm populations in other parts of the US, but resistance has not yet been documented here.  Moths arriving from other areas may or may not be resistant.