Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) adults are being captured with more frequency now, but most captures remain limited to the southwestern portion of the state (see ECB map), although scattered individuals have been captured as far north as Morris County. Warmer nights for the rest of this week may result in increased catches for the next several days. Most early sweet corn plantings are too young to support ECB larval infestations. However, over the next two weeks we could begin to see feeding in the most advanced plantings. Be sure to begin monitoring the earliest plantings for ECB feeding while they are still in the whorl stage.
The highest nightly ECB catches for the previous week are as follows:
| Jones Island 3 | Croswicks 1 | Green Creek 1 |
| Woodstown 2 | Denville 1 | Pedricktown 1 |
| Beckett 1 | Downer 1 | Pennington 1 |
| Centerton 1 | Folsom 1 | Tabernacle 1 |
A single corn earworm (CEW) moth was captured at Woodstown this week. This individual is not representative of a threat to sweet corn at this time, as there is no silking sweet corn in the state. We will continue to monitor CEW catches and present maps and spray recommendations as moth numbers and crop stage warrant.
Pepper Weevil
Four pepper weevils have been caught on a pheromone trap on the SE side of Hammonton in the past week. Given the severity of pepper weevil infestations in Florida peppers this year, this is not surprising. Local fields in the Hammonton area should be scouted or have pheromone traps deployed to detect the presence of the weevil.
A bloom spray on the peppers is warranted for fields in that area to prevent an infestation becoming established. Several insecticides are listed in the Commercial Vegetable Production Guide that will kill the adults.
