Next year’s corn rootworm pressure is already taking shape. For growers who want to stay ahead of it, the time to measure that risk is now. Adult beetles are active in late spring and early summer, feeding, mating and laying the eggs that will determine next year’s pressure. For growers in historically high-pressure areas, this timing matters. By the time visible root damage appears the following season, management options are limited — and yield loss may already be locked in.
The Watch, a proactive corn rootworm monitoring program, is designed to reveal what’s developing beneath the surface, tracking adult beetle populations during the egg-laying window to provide field-specific insight into the pressure building for next season.
Why High-Pressure Fields Require Early Insight
Corn rootworm remains one of the most economically damaging pests in corn production, costing U.S. growers billions annually in yield loss and management expenses. In areas with a history of pressure, populations can rebuild quickly even after a year with minimal visible damage. Adult beetles emerging from this season’s crop lay eggs that overwinter and hatch the following spring. That means next year’s risk is largely determined by what happens in fields right now.
Monitoring adult activity during this period can provide the earliest sign of whether pressure is building, stable or declining.
“Scouting helps you understand what’s actually happening in your fields rather than relying on assumptions,” said Andrew Penney, a Bayer agronomist. “When you gather real data, you’re in a much better position to make decisions that protect yield.”
The Value and Limits of Early Scouting
Early monitoring does not eliminate uncertainty. Weather patterns, beetle movement between fields, and local agronomic conditions can all influence populations. However, monitoring during the egg-laying period provides a clearer picture of peak activity than scouting later, when populations may already be declining or unevenly distributed.
For high-risk growers, that distinction can be critical. Early data can help differentiate between moderate pressure that may be manageable and severe infestations that could require stronger protection strategies the following season. Waiting until symptoms such as lodging or root pruning appear often leaves farmers reacting to damage rather than preventing it.
How The Watch Works
The Watch provides growers with tools to track adult beetles directly in their fields. Starter kits include sticky traps that are placed within the crop canopy during the egg-laying period, along with guidance on placement, timing and interpretation.
By checking traps regularly, growers can estimate population levels and identify trends over time. That information can then inform seed selection, trait decisions and integrated pest management strategies for the next planting season.
For growers using DEKALB® brand seed, multiple corn rootworm trait options are available, including SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology and VT4PRO® with RNAi Technology. While product selection depends on individual farm goals and conditions, matching protection to actual pressure is ideal.
A Proactive Approach for the Season Ahead
Growers in high-pressure regions often emphasize that the most effective rootworm management plans are built a year in advance especially when data is collected and shared. As part of the trap kit, the beetle monitoring program encourages farmers to share their results which will be used to create next seasons rootworm forecast map. Monitoring adult activity now does not guarantee outcomes, but it does provide valuable intelligence while decisions are still flexible.
The free* corn rootworm pressure starter kits combined with the beetle monitoring program from The Watch are designed to help growers gather that intelligence before planning for next season is finalized. By combining field-level monitoring with agronomic support and educational resources, the program aims to reduce uncertainty and support more informed choices.
Join The Watch today and sign up to receive your FREE corn rootworm testing kit with all the tools you need to stay ahead of next year’s pressures at Traits.Bayer.com/TheWatch
[LEGAL] NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE CHANCES OF WINNING. Open to U.S. commercial corn farmers who are legal residents of the U.S., 21 or older who request a Corn Rootworm Pressure Starter Kit with Sticky Trap from https://www.bayer.traits.com/thewatch between 5/1/26 and July 7, 2026, excluding Sponsor’s employees, family and household members. There is no charge to request or receive the Corn Rootworm Pressure Starter Kit with Sticky Trap. Additional entries may be earned between 7/10/26 – 8/20/26. See official rules for additional entry options. Thirty (30) winners will receive a name brand smart watch; ARV: $298/each. Odds depend on no. of entries. For a copy of the Official rules, including other methods of entry and additional entry opportunities, visit https://www.traits.bayer.com/thewatchofficialrules. Sponsor: Bayer CropScience LLC, 800 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63137.
