Based on pheromone moth traps monitored by Rafe Parker from Parker Farms, Oak Grove, Va, corn earworm moth activity has picked up significantly in the Northern Neck Region of Virginia. Counts jumped from less than 10 for past 2 weeks to about 100 moths this week. these moths will be flying to sweet corn, soybeans, cotton, green beans, and tomatoes among other crops. Be on the lookout for the eggs and small larvae of this pest, or begin the preventative spray programs. There are a wide range of effective insecticides for this pest. Sweet corn is probably the most difficult crop to achieve effective control of corn earworm because very few insecticides kill the eggs, eggs develop and hatch quickly in the summer heat, and larvae move down the silks and into ears where they are protected. Click More to view a summary of recent insecticide trials performed on sweet corn in Eastern Virginia.

Additional information: kuharsweetcorn-ipm-handout-2010-doc