How to Control Cutworms

Cutworms feed at night on the stems of seedlings and transplants, severing them or sometimes consuming the entire seedling. They spend the daylight hours below the surface of the soil. Here's how to control these little critters.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Paper Cutworm Collars
• Beneficial Nematodez
• Bird Feeders
• Birdbaths
• Bt

1. Know what you're looking for. Cutworms are gray or dull brown fat caterpillars. They are 1 to 2 inches long with shiny heads.

2. Look for cutworms curled near the base of young plants. You may have to dig a few inches into the soil to find them.

3. Dig into the soil each morning and destroy any cutworms you find.

4. Protect young plants from cutworms by placing a paper collar around new transplants. Push the paper collar into the soil at least 2 inches. The collar will decompose in time as the plant grows.

5. Encourage hungry birds to visit your garden by placing birdbaths and feeders near the planting beds.

6. Apply beneficial nematodes when the cutworms first appear in the spring. Nematodes attack the cutworms by laying eggs inside the caterpillar. Ravenous hatchlings consume the cutworm before it can pupate into an adult moth.

7. Place bran mixed with Bacillus thuringiensis, an organic control for caterpillars, over the surface of new planting beds one week prior to planting. Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt) is a bacteria and is safe to use around children and pets. Cutworms already present in the soil will eat the Bt-laced bran instead of your new seedlings.

8. Plant later in the season, when cutworms aren't as active, as a preventative measure.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply pesticides during the period when the insects are most active to get the best control.

• Always try the least toxic method of pest control as your first step.

• Although Bt is organic and safe to use, it will kill all types of caterpillars, including butterfly larvae.

• If you use chemical pesticides in your garden, you will also kill natural predators of cutworms.

• If you choose a chemical method of control, always wear protective clothing and safety gear, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, neoprene gloves, goggles and a respirator.