Week 14 of our Lep (moth) monitoring covered July 13th – July 19th. WBC numbers continue to increase; they should peak around the end of July. For more information, read below.
Western Bean Cutworm
This week, 22 counties monitored WBC using 58 traps (Figure 2). The statewide average continues to increase with an average of 6.0 (compared to 4.7 last week). Several counties in Northern Ohio are above our scouting threshold of an average of 7.0 moths per week. These include Fulton (12.0), Henry (8.0), Lucas (30.0!), Sandusky (9.0), Trumbull (10.0) and Williams (22.8). Additionally, Brown and Geauga counties are just at the threshold this week with an average of 7.0 moths per trap. The average number of WBC are expected to peak over the next few weeks.
How to scout for WBC egg masses
Corn that is in the process of forming tassels is an ideal place to look for WBC eggs. To scout: examine 20 plants in 5 different locations (100 plants total). Typically, eggs can be found on the underside of upright leaves near the tassel or on the upper side of leaves near the leaf collar. Newly laid eggs are usually a whitish color, and the older eggs can be dark purple (Figure 1). Treatment options should be considered if 5% of plants have egg masses. For optimal results, treatment should be applied when the majority of the eggs found are purple.
To view a more detailed video on scouting – click here: https://youtu.be/qGjpwtfkObM?si=CFPzX1rlqt6jzyJw
Western Bean Cutworm Moth Map
Week 7
July 13th – July 19th, 2026
Corn Earworm
This week we monitored corn earworm in 18 counties, with a total of 39 traps. All monitoring counties continue to report low CEW numbers, under the threshold of an average of 7.0 moths per week. (Figure 1). The statewide average is holding steady with a slight decrease to 1.0 from 1.4 last week.
Corn Earworm Moth Map
Week 7
July 13th – July 19th, 2026
