Local MAPAQ crop specialist discusses the western bean cutworm

Local MAPAQ crop specialist discusses the western bean cutworm

The western bean cutworm, a species of moth that wreaks havoc on corn and certain bean crops, was first discovered in the Pontiac region in the early 2000s and local experts have been keeping an eye on it ever since.

Christine Rieux, an agronomist and crop specialist with the Shawville MAPAQ office, explained that she’s been studying the pest since she arrived in the area five years ago.

Rieux said that they recently discovered that the insect can overwinter in the region, as they previously believed that it was arriving in the area from the U.S. via the jet stream.

She explained that they monitor several traps in the area, and when they see a spike in captures, usually around the end of July or early August, they alert local farmers to keep an eye on their corn fields for cutworm eggs.

More information on the western bean cutworm is available on the MAPAQ’s website, such as this presentation from 2021.

The full interview with Rieux (17m20) is available here.