-Joe Ingerson-Mahar
Weather-wise, 2012 has already become an exceptional year not only in New Jersey but in much of the country. Higher than normal temperatures in late winter and early spring and the mild winter weather are now playing out in early appearances of migratory insects, including corn earworm and cabbage looper and perhaps beet armyworm and fall armyworm, as well.
Weather-wise, 2012 has already become an exceptional year not only in New Jersey but in much of the country. Higher than normal temperatures in late winter and early spring and the mild winter weather are now playing out in early appearances of migratory insects, including corn earworm and cabbage looper and perhaps beet armyworm and fall armyworm, as well.
Because of the mild winter, corn earworm may have
overwintered in large numbers in the region, giving rise to a low but consistent
number of moths already being caught in south Jersey. Earworms normally increase in late May and
remain at high levels for about 3 weeks to a month and then decline before a
second wave comes in late July and August.
The May flight this year will bear watching, because of the potential for
a larger than normal population. Look
for trap counts and maps in the Plant and Pest Advisory newsletter.
The unexpected arrival of cabbage looper, normally a late
summer/early fall pest, in cole crops and lettuce this past week, is a reminder
that farmers should be on the lookout for other migratory pests arriving
early. In another week, the Vegetable
IPM Program will be deploying both beet armyworm and fall armyworm pheromone
traps in the south to help detect any early arrival of these insects.
