The invention discloses a short-term early warning method for crop pests. The short-term early warning method for crop pests comprises the following steps of 1, performing annual monitoring of the number of pests in the early warning area where the pest forecasting lights are located, and sending the monitoring results to the data terminal; 2, smoothly processing data for the monitoring information of the pest forecasting lights; 3, based on the data after the smoothing, using the gray modeling method to establish the normal model of pest situation changes; 4, based on the rising trend of the normal model of pest situation changes, determining the specific time point of crop pest outbreaks; 5, classifying the degree of plague of the early warning area based on the pest data; 6, sending the monitoring information to the plague monitoring network platform; and 7, recording the warning information specific data into the data terminal database. The beneficial effect is that the monitoring is real-time, the implementation is convenient, the manual cost is greatly saved, the early warning is accurate and effective, the prevention cost is saved, the amount of pesticide residues of the crop is reduced, and the crop yield and output are improved.