How to Get Rid of Cutworms Safely—the Remedy Is Likely in Your Bathroom Right Now

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This non-toxic method will help protect plants from cutworm damage without harming plants or people.

Seedlings have sprouted, transplants are transplanted, and then suddenly, overnight, they appear to be chopped off at the base, or even disappear. Though there may be other culprits, plants being cut off at the base are a common sign that cutworms are at work. Using even the best insecticides may not prove effective for cutworm control but there is good news. Getting rid of cutworms can be achieved via cardboard collars, a natural method for pest control that will cost you very little money or time, in tandem with one or two other removal methods.

What Are Cutworms?

“Cutworms look very similar to caterpillars and are the larvae of moths,” says Brett Bennett, director of operations at PURCOR Pest Solutions, a pest control service that operates in several states. “These pests are most active at night and commonly found on flower and vegetable seedlings.”

The term cutworm is used generically for the caterpillar (larvae) stage of many different species of month. These larvae are typically between 1 and 2 inches long and when disturbed or poked, they curl into a C-shape. Cutworm identification can sometimes be tricky because they can be any number of colors, including brown, green, black, and even pinkish. For example, the black cutworm has grainy grayish-black skin and becomes the black cutworm moth. Cutworms aren’t limited to springtime, either. The winter cutworm changes from green to black with cream-colored stripes, and is active during periods of warmth in the winter. Be sure what you’re seeing isn’t an armyworm, because getting rid of armyworms requires an entirely different strategy.

Signs of Cutworms

One of the telltale signs of cutworms is seedlings or transplants that appear to be cut off right at the soil line. The plants may even disappear, as cutworms can drag small seedlings into underground burrows. Because cutworms operate at night, there may be visible signs of cutworm damage on leaves, fruit, or buds, but no visible pests on the plant during the day. Cutworms also feast on tubers and can burrow into tomatoes and cabbages.

How to Get Rid of Cutworms

Cardboard toilet paper tubes planted in a garden around vegetables to prevent cutworms.
Photo: istockphoto.com

Many gardeners have found the most effective way of protecting their plants from cutworms involves removing access to young plants. Here are the step-by-step basics of making cardboard collars to control cutworms, along with some optional add-on strategies. You’ll also find alternate cutworm control methods, if collars aren’t right for you.

Tools & Materials

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