Corn Bores

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Does anyone know how to prevent corn bores? Picked the last of the corn yesterday. So many of them.. Thanks to anyone who can advise me on how to prevent these awful little worms from invading my corn.

Lori

-- Lori (ABaby72@aol.com), September 02, 1999

Answers

Two things I have heard about but haven't tried as we don't have the problem. Mineral oil on the tassel end of the ear as it is growing might prevent them from getting into the ear to start with. Not sure about the timing of the application of oil. I think that BT that is used for cabbage worms, etc., might work on corn borers, the label on the package would probably tell you.

Check one of the Rodale Press (Organic Gardening people) books on organic pest control for recommendations.

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), September 02, 1999.


Lori:

The commonly used term covers a variety of insects. To be sure you could plant BT corn [GM plant], but those are not available. You could apply BT toxin as specified by the seller [Many firms market this]. Finally, you could spray the hell out of the plants with commericial, chemical pesiticides. Those are the options. None of them work completely, Otherwise, give a little to the bugs.......

Best wishes,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 02, 1999.


Lori, this year in Indiana my last sweet corn crop had corn ear worms. The first two didn't. I believe the larva develops from eggs laid on the maturing corn silk. I use Sevin as a general pesticide, both liquid and powder. Liquid is easier to apply to the ear, but you can't do it so early as to impede the pollination of the corn. Powder is less intrusive to pollination, but takes longer to apply. I usually use powder for sweet corn. It stays on the silk longer, thus is a greater threat to the larva.

Get a powder applicator. It looks llike a farm type fly spray. You pump it manually, and a cloud of powder comes out.

-- Ninh Hoa (tech@univ.now), September 02, 1999.


I garden solely to be able to eat food that does not have poisons applied. That was the old reason. I do not trust Sevin nor any of its ilk. My granny used to say " if it will kill a bug, then it can't be good for you"...I believe her. For the past 7 years, we have grown most all the vegs that we eat. Lucky for us, at least we have the skills if , in fact, we really do NEED to grow our own food. Corn ear worms: Wait until the silks are brownish and dried out somewhat(not all the way)...then the pollination process should be completed. Peel back the tips of the shuck and flip out any worms into a coffee can(look close....get the SMALL, TINY ones also)... close the shuck back up as best you can. Give the worms to the chickens; they truly love them. I used to drive myself crazy trying to have "perfect looking" corn. No more. My garden(on its best day) does not belong on a magazine cover; but it does feed us well.

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), September 02, 1999.

I though corn borers could be reduced by planting the corn farther apart.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), September 08, 1999.


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