It’s hard to believe fields in Ohio are only 80 days away from slicing high-yielding corn varieties into the ground – this comes as good news for many potential pests! One yearly pest we monitor for in corn is the western bean cutworm (WBCW). Monitoring is a very important tool that helps us understand populations and make the best management decisions for our growers. Recently, there have been reports of resistant WBCW to Cry1F hybrids (read more on that here). With that being said, it is more important than ever to be monitoring for WBCW populations in your county!
Fig. 1. Western bean cutworm adult
Growers in Ohio should monitor for WBCW populations from late-June through August by placing traps at the edge of corn fields. In the top portion of the trap a lure is placed to attract WBCW. This lure needs to be replaced every 4 weeks to remain effective. The WBCW adults fly into the top of the trap and then fall into the bottom, where they remain to be counted. Traps are checked on a weekly basis and WBCW numbers are recorded for each county.
Fig. 2. Western bean cutworm trap
Currently, 20 counties in Ohio are participating in WBCW monitoring for 2017. We would not be able to monitor WBCW as effectively if it were not for the help of our extension educators. If your county does not monitor WBCW and is interested in monitoring please contact Amy Raudenbush (Raudenbush.3@osu.edu) for more information!
