Each spring, the Cooperative Agriculture Pest Survey monitor and trap black cutworm in fields across the state to help determine a significant flight. Kelly Estes, State Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator says that they are now starting to wrap up the spring trapping season.
“What we have determined through all of our different counts is when potential cutting may be occurring. Throughout much of the state, last week and this week, we are entering a time frame where we would expect black cutworm larvae to be in the field and potentially feeding. We heard about some feeding in western Illinois last week; towards the end of last week, I had a report of some cutworm feeding around the Peoria area.”
Estes adds that later planted crops, fields that had grassy weeds before planting, and fields that had grassy cover crops were more susceptible to black cutworm.
