Insect and bird damage likely is correlated to the life cycles of the major pests for sunflowers. Banded
sunflower moth (Cochylis hospes), which is a major insect pest in sunflowers in northern states, feeds on
sunflower seeds and reduces kernel weight and overall yield. The adult moths are generally prevalent
from mid-July to mid-August, and lay eggs on sunflower bracts. These eggs hatch and larvae burrow into
sunflower heads between mid-July and mid-September, feeding on kernels and wreaking havoc. Though
not significantly different, the levels of insect damage (exit holes distinctive to sunflower moth damage)
were lowest in the sunflowers planted earliest. This suggests that the sunflowers planted on 25-May this
year, which had, for the most part, bloomed by 27-July, may have already reached physiological maturity
when pests such as banded sunflower moths became most active, and the younger plants had more
desirable seed heads at the time. Damage to seedheads is most severe when the buds have just begun to
elongate but have not yet opened.