Bt (kurstaki) for european corn borer
Young corn borers feed exposed in the whorl and on the emerging tassel before boring into the stalk and ear, and that is the only window for Bt. UF/IFAS says Bt products can be as effective as many chemical insecticides, though often less effective than some. In peppers the larvae go straight under the fruit cap, so coverage must be on before hatch. Bt is compatible with the Trichogramma releases used against the eggs.
Before you order
A bacterium sprayed on leaves. Caterpillars that eat it stop feeding and die within a few days. It works only on the larvae of moths and butterflies, and has little or no effect on bees, lady beetles, lacewings or parasitic wasps. How it works, how to tell it has established and the supplier list are on the full Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki profile.
Other controls for european corn borer
- Trichogramma spp.Egg parasitoid wasp · 90,000–120,000 per acre per release in peppers, weekly for 4 weeks from the start of the moth flight (UMass, for T. ostriniae)
- Orius insidiosusPredatory bug · 1–2 /m² per release; up to 10 /m² on hot spots
- Braconid waspsWild parasitoid · wild, attract it
- Tachinid fliesWild parasitoid · wild, attract it