I have a ton of corn planted out there. but I'm not against going out there and pulling back all the husks to remove all the worms. if i have to. I'm also not against using poison of certain kinds. My ears are far from ready maybe 3 weeks left on them, and we are loaded with worms on our ears. What would happen if I pulled back the husks to remove the worms. would that damage the exposed ears? I really want my corn to do well. how far down will the worm dig if I just let them be? will i get any corn at all? lol
Battling Worms in my corn
If you already have worms on the ears, it's kinda late . Pulling back husks would open the ears to bug and bird damage. Usually the whole process from first silking to picking is only three weeks. A person could slip on those nylon footies [found in shoe stores...I bought a box from them] over the ear ends as soon as the ears are pollinated.
Thanks, I figured it was a little late now. we'll see how the corn turns out, i'd have to buy a ton of footies, I have an aweful lot of corn. there's alot of corn just now putting out silks, so we still have some time on some of it.
I've heard that BT works on corn worms; however, I have not tried it nor have I researched it. You might want to check it out.
I read that also, but i also read you have to spray when the silks first appear, we have alot of corn like that now but we also have alot of corn with brown silks and are almost ready to pick. so I'd say we were too late wtih alot of the worms. nothing will kill them once their down inside the corn from what i read, I'll learn from this experience, and just cut the tops off when I harvest them. next year we will spray right when the silks appear on the corn. if there is a next year lol thanks so muchfor all the help.
I remember reading somewhere that adding a couple of drops of mineral oil when the silks begin to form deters worms. That is certainly safer than using pesticides if it works!
you have to do that early also.
What y'all need are bats! Every night, Bats eat thousands of moths.
http://icwdm.org/handbook/mammals/bats.asp
Here is a very interesting discussion on using mineral oil and when. You may not be able to get all of the worms but they say in this discussion you can use it when the silks turn brown. Some also recommend vegetable oil and adding BtK. Maybe this would help at least some of the corn to not get infested! http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg0612194310565.html?18
I'll go for some bats ;0) We got a few when we go out walking at night I see them. not enough of them i'm affraid, they don't come to my house and eat my corn.
We planted our corn later on this year, I remember planting a couple years back and not having any worms and not spraying for them either, cause we planted early. i planted late this year because all the storms have blown over my crops before and some never stood back up. although that happened this year planting late also. so I guess i will plant early next year if we plant our corn again.
I also found a place not too far off that sells it by the tote sack full for about l5.00 and it's peaches and cream corn and really good. hate to hear what they use to poison their corn. eye yi yi.....
Perhaps much of the poison stays on the shucks. Those footies are easy to slip on and are reusable.
Monsanto's corn is genetically altered to produce its own insecticides and herbicides.
Well, MY DH has decided to quit watering the corn, it was l07 yester day and higher today and we'll not get any corn now, he said it wasn't worth it, since it's full of worms anyway, we aare picking what's ready this sunday and the rest we'll let go. I'm going to head down to a farm not far from me and buy a tote sack or two full of peaches & cream corn for l5.00 ea instead lol when they get more ready. that is.
okay, so when I plant some later on this month (i'm in 10a):
1. how long between the time I see little husks growing and the time to harvest?
2. at what point do i protect the ears from worms (bt or little footies)?
thanks.
I was told when the silks start forming on the corn cob, that you have about 3 weeks till harvest, i don't believe that though. and right when you see the silks forming, is when you need to protect the cob from the moth that lays that egg. and keep doing it till the silk turns brown.