Wait too long and the corn plant will have started to pollinate itself, ruining the seed. Seed companies take meticulous care of their fields, closely watching them in order to predict when they'll need to bring in detasselers. Still, it's a tough call, and everyone is at the mercy of the weather. When the time is right, detasselers have to work quickly. The season can start anytime from late June to late July, depending on growing conditions.
Days off are rare, but the entire season lasts only about three weeks.
Detasselers beat the summer heat by starting at sunrise and working until mid-afternoon.