Earwigs in the corn patch...:(

[Collector]

What can be done about the earwigs in the corn, They are chewing all the silks off the ears. we were hoping for some fresh corn soon, so not sure about putting anything on the plants..

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think you probably mean corn earworms, not earwigs?

Im real reluctant to use pesticides on an ear of corn. Most pesticides break down fairly quickly when exposed to sunlight or air. When pesticides get down into the ear of corn, they are neither exposed to sunlight or air and can last a real long time. If you read the instructions on a lot of pesticides for the days you have to wait to use the crop after treatment, you may only have to wait 1 or 2 days for some things but 21 days after using it on corn.

One exception is BT. Thats the only pesticide Id think about using.

The moth lays the egg on the silk, the egg hatches, and the caterpillar crawls down where pesticides cant get to it anyway. You have to get the timing right, when it hatches but before it crawls down where you cant get to it. Life aint always easy. So keep BT on the silks.

Something else Ive used which sometimes helps is that I oil the silks. I soak the silks with mineral oil so the caterpillar suffocates when it hatches. Again you have to get the timing right and I can assure you this is not 100% effective. But it sometimes helps.

The later in the season the worse problem they are. Right now I have problems.

Good luck!

 

[catjac1975]

If it is corn borers BT will work. Earwigs can be controlled with food grade diatomaceous earth.

 

[catjac1975]

I found this great article from Organic Gardening.
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-to-control-earwigs

 

[digitS']

Good and bad qualities to those earwigs - eats bugs, but eats plants too

. . . especially tender things like lettuce & cornsilk.

Spinosad is used in earwig baits. Spinosad also comes as a spray. Spinosad is given in tablets to dogs to kill fleas & ticks .

Steve

 

[Collector]

I think it is earwigs I have saw them on the plants, not chewing on the silks though. Will the corn mature without the silks on the ears? The silks are starting to dry out at the tips already. i should have been more prepared for them, we have quite a few around here seems like Thank you for all the replies it really helps to get a second opinion on our garden issues.

 

[MontyJ]

If the corn was pollinated, it no longer needs the silk and will still mature normally. If the silk is already starting ot dry out, pollination has already happened and you should be fine.

 

[Collector]

Thank you Monty, still looking forward to fresh corn then lol.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Grasshoppers ate my silks off last year. Most of the corn still pollinated pretty well and not all had dried out that much when they ate it. So yeah, if your silks have started to dry out pollination should have been done. I think Monty knows what he is talking about.

Ive never had that problem with earwigs but after the other posts I checked it on the internet. Earwigs do eat the silk off corn. I learned something today.

 

[MontyJ]

I once had an infestation of cucumber beetles eat the silk off the corn. That was one I had never seen before.