Something eating on my sweet corn

[jcummins]

HELP ! !

My garden is fenced, with two hot wires on top of 4ft rectangle fence, and one hot wire on the outside about 6 inches high. I've got a game camera up trying to see what's doing it, and have caught nothing on camera. The corn has no ears yet, about 3 foot tall. What ever it is is chewing the stalk into kind of in the middle of the stalk, then it just lays over.

Here's close up of stalk.

 

[Steve IA]

Electric fence didn't stop the raccoons getting into mine last year. Munchin didn't stop until I trapped and relocated 3 of them miles from anybody else's sweet corn patch.
Gonna start earlier this year, hopefully before I lose any ears.
Steve

 

[jcummins]

I was hoping no one would say the electric fence won't stop coons.

Surely there is a way to setup an electric fence to keep them out.

 

[kf4uda]

I have been hit by racoons in the past but only when the corn had ears and about ready for me to harvest. When they came in to raid apparently a whole extended family came in (or so it seemed). I had silver queen and peaches and cream. They destroyed the peaches and cream but left the silver queen on the first round. I was able to trap two during the next raid but one of them somehow got out of the trap. I called a wildlife officer. He relocated the thief to a local wildlife management area and brought my trap back.

I have no doubt that they can find a way past your hot wire since they are quite crafty but I have never had them come in and chew stalks down like what is happening to you.

 

[tractorshopper]

A few years ago, we had some wild hogs take out about 3 acres of corn in less than 2 weeks at night. Knocked each stalk down and took a bite or two from each ear, then moved on to the next one.

 

[nelso1]

(Having some problems reading the dates and times.) Did you check for worms? Can't tell a whole lot by the picture.

 

[sam5570]

J i really hate to see that damage the bad part is i have never seen anything destory the ears that young i have had the same problem that KF4UDA had and the deer destroyed mine in 2010 if it is coons the best way to keep them out is take your dog or dogs and let them go thru each row every time you go to the garden and the coons won't come around works for us we still have a problem with deer but we have fixed that we take the halloween motion things that light up and make a horrible noise and last year it worked im gonna print the pic of your corn and take it by the feed store and see if anyone has any ideas.

 

[jinman]

jcummins, I'm sorry you are having such bad luck with your corn. I know how good fresh sweet corn is. I used to pick it and was tempted to eat it right there in the garden. However, the raccoons and other critters know how good it is too, so now I don't plant it and get all my corn at the stores selling 10 ears for $1. My wife bought 10 ears today. It's not as good as home grown, but it IS still delicious :licking: and I don't feed wildlife from my garden.

 

[jcummins]

Last year coons got into the garden the night BEFORE we was going to pick some last year. This year I've tighten up the fence some and improved how the electric fence was setup. I suppose it is coons....but I'm still not sure, since the game camera hasn't caught anything. Plus it's way before there is corn to eat.

Could it be a corn bore? Here's a bit better picture. Sam I was wanting to take the stalk to someone to ID what did it....but was unsure who to take it too.

 

[sam5570]

JCUMMINS if youhave any corn left get you a spray bottle and some mineral oil and squirt the top of the ears don't put alot just one squirt per ear if you don't see any tracks around or any sign of entry it's probably worms i have never seen them do that kinda damage but my friend says he has hope this helps.

 

[sam5570]

Last year coons got into the garden the night BEFORE we was going to pick some last year. This year I've tighten up the fence some and improved how the electric fence was setup. I suppose it is coons....but I'm still not sure, since the game camera hasn't caught anything. Plus it's way before there is corn to eat.

Could it be a corn bore? Here's a bit better picture. Sam I was wanting to take the stalk to someone to ID what did it....but was unsure who to take it too.

the people here that carry all the fertilizer and plants (our local feed stores) know alot about this stuff do you have them in your area i just now seen the last pic and looks just like what coons do to it they ride it down then get the ears hope we can figure out before you loose any more

 

[jcummins]

To early, corn has no ears at all. That's part of the puzzle....these are chewing on the stalk.

 

[blueriver]

Well I'll say "Black Cut Worm" ... usually they hit ground level BUT they will bore the center of the stalk and come out anywhere on the stalk making it do what your picture shows .... Liquid Sevin Dust Concentrate ... mix it with water per the instructions and spray the corn.... and if its not the Cut worm it will stop anything in the worm family that may be doing it.

 

[nelso1]

Chewing on the stalk is a good example of a cut worm or corn borer. For either one, you can do a quick Bing search. eHow has a good article on corn borers. Here's one for cut worms: Cutworms - Identifying and Controlling Cutworms in the Garden .

 

[jcummins]

Blueriver and nelso1 nails it. Found out an AG agent with U of I lives real close to me. He stopped by this morning. Says it's combination of different worms, saw some Japanese beetles too. So I'm headed to town for some Sevin.

 

[BATTY54]

You are not the only one, here are a few pics of my corn damage, looks similar, don't think worms or bugs could have dragged the plants away. What ever did the damage left no tracks in the soil. It had to be the size of squirrel, chipmunk or crow. Turkeys or racoons would have left tracks. There is not much left after the crows got an early start as soon as it broke through the soil and now this.

 

[jcummins]

You are not the only one, here are a few pics of my corn damage, looks similar, don't think worms or bugs could have dragged the plants away. What ever did the damage left no tracks in the soil. It had to be the size of squirrel, chipmunk or crow. Turkeys or racoons would have left tracks. There is not much left after the crows got an early start as soon as it broke through the soil and now this.

When I talked to the agent and said the corn was 3+ foot high, he was doubtful it was cut worms. They normal go for the smaller crops. But once he got here and saw first hand, it was multiple types of worms and beetles. From my research Sevin takes care of all of them. From your pics, I'd say you got the same problem, I'd get some liquid Sevin.

 

[Stimw]

I grew some BEAUTIFUL corn a couple years ago and got one pick, the next day it was wiped out! My problem was squirrels. (doesn't anyone eat them anymore?)
I have given up on corn.
This thread got me thinking, what if I sprayed the almost ready ears with cayenne pepper/water spray? Shouldn't penetrate the husk. Any thoughts?

 

[sam5570]

When I talked to the agent and said the corn was 3+ foot high, he was doubtful it was cut worms. They normal go for the smaller crops. But once he got here and saw first hand, it was multiple types of worms and beetles. From my research Sevin takes care of all of them. From your pics, I'd say you got the same problem, I'd get some liquid Sevin.

sure glad you found the problem hope the sevin works should have time to re plant what they messed up