WNY Sweet Corn Pheromone Trap Network

Abstract

Three of the important insect pests of sweet corn, European corn borer, corn earworm, and fall armyworm, cause damage to ears in their worm or larval stage. These pests are moths in their adult stage. A network of traps baited with the pheromones that male and female moths use to find each other has been operating across western New York for the past ten seasons. The trap network allows growers, consultants, Cooperative Extension, and processing company field staff to track the flights of the adults of these three pests, and make informed decisions about when sweet corn fields need to be scouted or treated with an insecticide. This project is funded in part by the processing sweet corn industry and in-kind contributions from growers and consultants.