Cutworms damage is prevalent at the beginning of the gardening season, and the starts of most garden crops are highly desired targets. Some species will chew leaves or bore into the heads of lettuce and cold crops such as cabbage. Young fruit or vegetables can be attacked as well.

In most cases, they destroy the entire plant. They also feed on the blossoms and leaves of many ornamental plants. Their damage appears similar to that caused by slugs, minus the slime trail.

If you’re unsure if cutworms are the culprit, the best way to verify is to catch them in the act by inspecting your garden at night when they feed. Go out with a flashlight an hour after dark and you’re sure to find them.

If they do enter your garden, figure out how severe the infestation is to determine your best course of action and when to apply it.

Cutworms are prodigious eaters and can completely strip favored plants of foliage.

Though alarming, there may actually only be one or two worms on the affected plant. So unless many plants are being devoured, a conservative approach is best.

If your garden is small or the number of cutworms low, handpicking them at night by flashlight may be sufficient. Introducing beneficial nematodes can help control cutworms as well.

For a more sizable problem, you may use a spray in conjunction with manual efforts. Extracts made of sagebrush have been observed to be a natural deterrent to cutworms.

Sprays containing bacteria, such as spinosad and bacillus thuringiensis, are very effective controls.

Other pesticides are not very effective and are not recommended for cutworm control. Regardless of method or product used, always read and follow package instructions and never spray when beneficial insects are present.

Cutworms emerge in early spring, hungry and eager to sample what you have provided for them. The best time to start preventing a spring infestation is during late fall and winter.

Gather any infested material and remove it from your property. Plow or till your garden at the end of the growing season. Since moths favor weeds and tall grass to lay their eggs in, you should also mow areas near the garden and continue to weed through winter. This will expose and kill eggs, destroyin their winter habitat. Dig and till again in early spring to expose any larvae that managed to overwinter. If cutworms do manage to emerge in early spring, you can delay planting and transplanting a couple weeks to cut off their food supply.

After transplanting or when seedlings emerge, protect tender stems by placing a 3” high collar made from stiff paper, cardboard, pvc, paper cups, or toilet tissue tubes over them.

You can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth or eggshells around vulnerable seedlings. Perennial crops, such as berries, can be protected from climbing cutworms by placing sticky collars around the base of canes or branches.