Garden pest
Corn earworm
The caterpillar feeding down inside the tip of the ear.
Corn earworm is in its active season now — scout your plants this week.
How to identify corn earworm
A 1.5-inch caterpillar that ranges from green to brown to pink with pale stripes and a tan head. On corn it feeds in the silk and ear tip; the very same insect is the 'tomato fruitworm' that bores into ripening tomatoes.
You rarely see the moth — a drab tan night-flier. The damage in the ear tip is the tell.
Attacks: Sweet corn, Tomatoes, Peppers, Beans
Life cycle: Moths lay eggs on fresh corn silk; the caterpillar follows the silk down into the ear, feeds for 2-4 weeks, then drops to pupate in the soil. Multiple generations a year, worse late season.
Signs of corn earworm
What you actually see on the plant — usually before you spot the pest itself.
- Chewed, frass-packed kernels at the tip of the ear
- Damaged, browning silks
- Bored holes in ripening tomatoes near the stem
Organic control, least-toxic first
Start at the top and only move down if you need to. Physical and cultural fixes come before any spray.
- Put a few drops of oil on the silk
A dropper of vegetable oil (some gardeners add a little Bt) applied to the silk of each ear a few days after it appears smothers young caterpillars as they head down. Don't apply too early or you can interfere with pollination.
- Spray Bt on the silks
Repeated Bt sprays on fresh silk catch the caterpillars before they enter the ear, per the label.
- Just cut off the damaged tip
For a home patch, the simplest fix is often to snap off the wormy inch at harvest — the rest of the ear is fine.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only point to seeds and gear we would use ourselves. See our full affiliate disclosure.
One rule for any product you spray: follow the label. The label is the law, and it is the tested, safe rate for your plants — homemade mixes and dish-soap sprays are not, and can scorch foliage.
Prevent it next season
- Plant early so ears mature before late-summer moth numbers peak
- Choose tight-husked corn varieties bred for earworm resistance
- Till the patch after harvest to expose overwintering pupae
Questions about corn earworm
Is the worm in my corn the same as the one in my tomatoes?+
Yes — corn earworm and tomato fruitworm are the same insect. Controlling it on one crop helps the other nearby.
Can I still eat corn with an earworm in the tip?+
Yes. Cut off the damaged tip and the rest of the ear is perfectly good.
Plan a garden that fights back
Healthy, well-spaced plants shrug off pests that flatten a crowded bed. PlotToTable sizes your beds, spaces every crop, and flags the pests that hit what you grow.