Monitoring Update: Insect Pressure Remains High Across Alabama

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Fall armyworm

Insect pressure remains high across Alabama. According to the Alabama Insect Pest Monitoring Update, released Friday, July 23, fall armyworms, southern armyworms, corn earworms and squash vine borers are all reporting higher numbers than compared to this time last year.

Alabama Extension recorded the moth numbers in 19 locations across Alabama. There were 585 fall armyworms, compared to 114 in 2020. There were 309 southern armyworms, compared to 229 last year. In 2020, there were just 96 corn earworms, compared to 210 this year. There were 316 squash vine borers, compared to 203 last year.

Though not as much as last year, beet armyworms are reporting high numbers (456) as well.

There were also more tobacco budworms (57) than there were in 2020 (25). According to the Alabama Vegetable IPM Facebook page, high incidences of moth usually means caterpillar load on crops is going to increase in the next 10 to 14 days. Growers are encouraged to contact their commercial horticulture regional Extension agent for help in identifying insects and control methods in various crops.