The corn rootworm damages the corn plants in that the root system is no longer stable and infected plants can be easily pulled out of the soil. The damage to the corn plants is caused both by larvae (mainly) and by the beetles themselves. The full extent of the damage only becomes apparent around 5 years after the initial infestation.
In order to observe and document the spread of the corn rootworm in Styria, the Plant Protection Department of the Styrian state government is tasked with setting up pheromone traps on corn fields during the summer months and checking them regularly. Even though the corn rootworm occurs in Styria mainly south of St. Michael - Leoben - Bruck/Mur, the infestation still needs to be controlled in the Ennstal. The LFZ Raumberg-Gumpenstein provides administrative assistance to the Styrian state government by supporting 4 locations between Trieben and Gröbming from the Bio-Institut. The weekly results are forwarded to the plant protection department in Graz and if a beetle appears, further measures would be initiated.