Need Some Help With The Corn

[Stoner]

I planted my first crop of corn and I am getting my first ears of corn. I noticed what maybe some worms. I have attached a few photos of the corn with what I think maybe some kind of bug or parasite. Can you tell me if they are worms and if so what should I use to spray the corn to get rid of them?

 

[billbill1]

I have heard (but never tried) that one drop of castor oil on the silk as near as possible to the ear will keep the worms out. Anyone else ever heard of this?

 

[waynokakid]

I've heard of using castor oil. Also my Uncle used mineral oil. Lot of work if you have very much corn. Their is something at the local farm center used to spray. But brain lapse, can't recall what it is right now. I'll try and find out and post later.

 

[Bird]

I never heard of the castor oil use, but I, too, had an uncle who recommended one drop of mineral oil per ear, but I never did it. I wasn't selling any corn, so I just chopped off whatever the worms got into.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Some old genuises nearby told me theyused to use vegetable oil in a squirt can. As soon as the silk started to show they'd walk through the corn shooting oil in the ears.

Sevin dust might work.

 

[Nasty135]

Hi Stoner, What you have there is the tastle falling polinating the ear at least thats what I see in your pics, You will get some bugs but if you have good weather and enough moisture the corn will grow fast then You can eat it before the bugs or the animals .... We've already eaten our first crop and shared some with the critters (while we were away ) But the second crop is looking good .....
I usually plant and early(66 day) corn the a month later plant a late corn (88day) so we don't go long without...
Oh BTW corn loves nitrogen or "urea" for the serious farmer

You could always try hanging a picture of your MIL in the garden for crop protection

Your corn looks fine to me , But if you end up with a problem you can try some of the above mentioned advice....Because I am by no means an expert....

 

[jinman]

I planted my first crop of corn and I am getting my first ears of corn. I noticed what maybe some worms. I have attached a few photos of the corn with what I think maybe some kind of bug or parasite. Can you tell me if they are worms and if so what should I use to spray the corn to get rid of them?

The corn earworms are from moths that lay their eggs near to where the silk goes into the ear. The moths mostly come to the corn at nght. You would probably never see the eggs and the developing worms. Actually, there may be several worms, but the biggest one will eat the corn ear and also the smaller worms. As the silk becomes mature and dark brown, give it a tug. If it pulls out of the ear, most likely the ear will have corn earworms inside.

 

[randy41]

you can apply mineral or vegetable oil to the silk to overcome the earworm problem but the timing of the application is important....too soon and you'll prevent polination...to late and the earworm will be inside the husk and uncontrollable. if you mix BT with the oil and give one light squirt per ear it should be very effective.
but the corn in the pictures seems to be doing just fine.

 

[deerhunterf350]

Stoner,

You can buy a product called "Seven" , it comes in either a thick liquid concentrate or a Powder it is a white product, Mix to recommended strentgh and spray.

From what I have researched about the Earworms , you must spray the Stalk when the first leaves are coming off the stalk that will eventually produce the Cob. And keep it sprayed (After Rains) until the shoot is completely closed and silk is hanging. During this stage is when the moths lay the eggs of the larvae. If the stalk is sprayed later once the Leaves have rolled up to start producing the Cob it is to late the larvae are already protected and inside the "COB" spraying may help a little but you will still have alot of wormy corn.

Dan

 

[Bird]

You can buy a product called "Seven"

It's actually spelled "Sevin" and I've even used the liquid form, diluted, to dip a dog that had fleas (on the recommendation of the vet), and I've sprayed it on the yard to get rid of fleas. Both my Dad and my Granddad used the powder on their vegetable gardens. It's a good product, but while I was not officially an organic gardener, I did not use any chemicals on my own vegetable garden; just planted enough for us and the pests.

 

[deerhunterf350]

It's actually spelled "Sevin"

I was thinking it had an I in the spelling.

Yes planting enough for Us and the Critters would be the way to go , but when space is limited , you have to save as much as possible from the critters.

Dan

 

[Bird]

when space is limited , you have to save as much as possible

Good point, Dan. Fortunately, I didn't have that problem.

 

[Stoner]

Randy I notice in your post that you would mix BT with the oil before you sprayed the ears of corn. What is BT? Thanks for all the replies.

 

[waynokakid]

Bacillus thuringiensis, use to get it as Dipel, Thuricide and BT. Not sure if you can get those anymore. It causes a fatal disease in the worms. Won't harm plants, humans or animal. Can harvest the same day as application. You have to repeat the application every 7 to 10 days till harvest. This is what I was trying to think of earlier. Works on just about every type of worm. Cabbage worms, hornworms, etc.