Cutworm egg masses showing up in our region

The mystery of the yellow egg masses showing up on screens and windows throughout the area has been solved.

Cook County Extension Officer Diane Booth confirmed this morning that the eggs and tiny larvae probably belong to the variegated cutworm or Peridroma saucia (PERRY droma saw cee ya). People should remove the eggs from wherever they find them as soon as possible.

The Ashland Daily Press reports there also is a variegated cutworm invasion along the South Shore of Lake Superior and in northern Wisconsin. The worms will pupate into the adult form of cutworm moths.

The Daily Press says the current flight of cutworm moths that laid the eggs probably flew into our region from the South with the help of prevailing winds.

The best action to deal with the egg masses is to wash them off surfaces with pressure washers or garden hoses.