Up next: Stalk borers in corn

Stalk borers are notorious for killing or stunting the corn row next to fences, grassy waterways, and conservation terraces. Control measures can be taken to prevent this damage, but fields must first be scouted on a timely basis. Stalk borer larvae have already hatched in Iowa and most of the larvae are now inside brome or other grasses, and in giant ragweed. However, a few stalk borers may already be in corn because they moved there first instead of to the grass. Eventually, the stalk borers in the grass get too large for the grass stems and they disperse in search of larger-diameter plants, which often is corn