Pesky Melonworm Could Spell Doom to Pumpkins in Arkansas

I love the fall season, and typically, October and November are the pumpkin months, whether carving a pumpkin for Halloween using it for decorating purposes, or baking a pumpkin pie. Could there be a shortage of pumpkins in Arkansas because of a pesky pest?

Melonworms that migrate from coastal regions of the United States are known for damaging pumpkin crops and according to the Stuggart Daily Reader, it seems that the pesky melonworms have arrived earlier than normal in Arkansas causing a grave concern and a threat to farmers harvesting their crops.

These pests feed on plant foliage and fruit and pumpkin rinds just under the stem where they can rot and fall off when pulling them out of the ground. The melonworm is sometimes confused with the pickleworm and can also be destructive to melons cucumbers and other vegetation.

According to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture,  The early arrival may be due to the tropical weather Arkansas has experienced over the past several years, especially in 2021 when heavy winds from  Tropical Storm Claudette and Hurricane Ida may have moved the moth-melonworm into Arkansas.

Most recently Hurricane Beryl and Hurricane Francene in the Gulf of Mexico this summer could be the culprit that catapulted the melonworms to arrive much earlier than normal in Arkansas.

Farmers who are growing pumpkins or gathering their harvest should begin looking for signs of infestation such as melonworms feeding on the leaves or look for melonworm moths on rolled or folded leaves where larvae could be present. Pumpkin growers should take the necessary steps to relinquish any damage to crops before they make it to market.

Pumpkins can liven up any party or be used to make the perfect Jack-o-Lantern it's a sure sign of the fall season. Let's not go from seeing the Great Pumpkin to seeing the Great Melonworm.