Light and pheromone traps are tools that help us know when certain insects are active in crops like cotton, peanuts, and soybeans.

Light traps use a black light to attract insects at night. They work well for some species, like asiatic garden beetle, corn earworm, and green stink bug, but not as well for others, like brown stink bug. N.C. Cooperative Extension (NCCE) runs a light trap program to track these pests across the season.

Pheromone traps use a special scent to attract insects. These traps usually only catch male moths, but they still give us good information. The counts you see here are an average of three traps across Washington and Beaufort counties.

These traps tell us when moths are flying. After we see a peak in moth activity, it’s important to scout fields. That’s because the caterpillars that are the next generation can cause damage. Some of the main caterpillar pests include corn earworm, fall armyworm, soybean looper, and tobacco budworm.

Another place to find information on fall armyworm is at the turf fall armyworm site and at the interactive fall armyworm map.

Right now, activity is typical for this time of year. Corn earworm, tobacco budworm, and fall armyworm moth activity is holding steady, while soybean looper moth activity is going up. Keep scouting your fields every week, even if moth catches drop. Caterpillars can show up quickly, and catching them early can save yield. See below for current pheromone trap catches: