Do weeds indicate what insect pests may infest a cornfield next year?
Conducting a weed survey (see last weeks report on how to conduct a weed survey) may identify conditions attractive to certain insect pests. Some weeds serve as over-wintering sites for common stalk borer, hop-vine borer, and potato stem borer. Black cutworm lays eggs on several species of weeds in the spring. Larvae of these insects migrate from weeds to emerging corn in the spring.
