Identify cutworms & fight them naturally

Cutworms develop into nocturnal swarming moths and are important for our nature. In the garden, however, they can cause damage by feeding on roots and tubers.

Of course cutworms have their right to exist. In the garden, however, they mainly appear as pests that can cause trouble in the vegetable patch. In the following you will learn how to reliably identify an infestation with cutworms and how to combat the hidden cutworms in a natural and gentle way.

What are cutworms?

Cutworms are the larvae of various cutworms of the genera agrotis, Scotland, Noctua and Euxoa or - depending on the definition - all species of the family Noctuidae. The larvae first live above ground and then migrate underground, where they feed on the roots of many crops. At night, some species come to the surface and also feed on above-ground plant parts. If the caterpillars are disturbed, they curl up in a spiral.

Cutworms begin their life cycle on plant parts above ground, where female cutworms lay their eggs. It takes four to seven days for the first larvae to hatch from the eggs. The caterpillars are initially so small that they can easily be overlooked. Depending on the temperature, the larva takes one to two weeks to develop into a larger caterpillar - it is now in the third stage of its development and has already molted twice. From now on, she begins to feed on plants during the day in the ground and above ground at night. Finally, in the last larval stage, it migrates more than 50 cm deep into the ground and overwinters there. Pupation occurs the following spring just below the surface of the soil in a glossy, nut-brown cocoon.

Notice: Cutworms eat potatoes, carrots, lettuce, celery, beetroot, cabbage, spinach, onions, leeks, Maize, various tender young plants, but also on ornamental plants and even spruce, larch and lawns amicable.

Determine cutworms: damage and appearance

The moths of the owl caterpillars look different depending on the species. The wingspan is about 4 cm, and the wings themselves are colored in inconspicuous shades of brown and gray. Depending on the weather, the moths fly from the end of May to the end of July. Sometimes, however, owl caterpillars still fly in August and September when development is severely delayed.

The eggs of the owl caterpillars are first white and later black. They are deposited on plants or on the ground. Hatching occurs one to two weeks after moth flight.

Young cutlet moth caterpillars are small and hard to see. They have nondescript, earth-colored skin with a green tinge and are hairless. In addition, they tend to leave inconspicuous, small feeding damage above ground (window damage, hole damage and leaf edge damage) which often goes unnoticed.

tip: When the cutworms live under the lawn, this is reflected in the form of crescent-shaped burrows that run shallow below the soil surface. Birds appear as secondary damage and, depending on the location and fence of the garden, sometimes even badgers and wild boars, which dig in the ground for the delicious caterpillars.

The pupae of the cutlet moth lie just below the surface of the earth and are smooth, shiny and maroon. The doll is tapered at the back. When touched, it becomes noticeable that the doll is movable.

tip: A reliable method of detection is specific pheromone traps. They are hung at the time of mating flight to determine when owl caterpillars can be expected.

fight cutworms

Cutworms can be found in any healthy garden. If there are too many, however, the garden suffers from them. If you find three to six larvae per square meter in the ground, this already means noticeable damage. Anyone who discovers 30 caterpillars per square meter can expect defoliation.

Hardly any pesticides are approved for controlling cutworms in the home garden. This is mainly due to the fact that the caterpillars hide so well and are difficult for spraying agents to reach. Fortunately, there are other effective ways to get rid of cutworms.

Nematodes against cutworms

An effective and ecological method of controlling cutworms is to use nematodes of the species Steinernema carpocapsae. These parasitize the caterpillars hidden in the ground and kill them by releasing a toxin. The nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae you can contact our Plantura SC nematodes bring to your garden. The nematode solution can be used on the lawn and also against the larvae of mole crickets (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa) as meadow cranefly (Tipula paludosa) insert. Once introduced into the soil, the roundworms lie in wait for their future hosts. Then they infest the cutworms and kill them with the help of bacteria, without affecting other garden dwellers.

Application of our SC nematodes against cutworms:

• The best time to use against cutworms is between June and September.
• The contents of the supplied sachet are stirred into the appropriate amount of water according to the instructions for use.
• The suspension is poured into a watering can and spread over the floor area to be treated. You should occasionally stir again so that the nematodes do not settle on the bottom of the watering can.
• After application, you should water the treated area with about one liter of water per square meter to flush the nematodes into the soil. In the following two weeks it is also important to ensure even moisture in the soil so that the nematodes have optimal living conditions.

Further application instructions can be found in the detailed package insert.

Tip: Also a very effective remedy against owl caterpillars, which still feed on the plant above ground, are bacteria of the species Bacillus thuringiensis. Although these may only be used against owl caterpillars on cabbage, they not only fight owl caterpillars there, but also cabbage white caterpillars. Ours works with this type of bacteria Plantura Bio-Zünslerfrei XenTari® reliable against cutworms on cabbage.

Home remedies for cutworms

There are a number of home remedies that can also be used to combat:

• Tillage disrupts the development of cutworms in the soil. So hoeing before sowing is useful if you expect a heavy infestation of cutworms.
• Covering the vegetables with crop protection nets prevents the cutlet moth from laying eggs. With a bit of luck, the moth will look for a place where its larvae do less damage.

Tip: There is also the possibility of attracting the caterpillars of the moth with special bait: mix water and sugar for this and bran in a wide bowl to a rather firm pulp and bury the bowl flush with the ground near the plant. You can later collect the cutworms from the bowl.

Can an infestation be prevented?

There is no 100% protection against cutworms, as there are various species of cutworms in Germany that like to lay their eggs on crops. However, the best way is to create a natural garden and a varied crop rotation. Natural enemies of cutworms are birds, shrews, hedgehogs, moles, ground beetles and parasitic wasps. Who these animals, for example, with a flower meadow, a wild corner in the garden or a hedge with native trees can also regulate the cutworms.
And something else helps against the voracious animals: cutworms do not like damp soil. Those who mulch the vegetable bed and even ensure moisture under the mulch by means of drip irrigation will drive away owl caterpillars in the long run.

Owl moths are among the butterflies, even if they only fly at night. the most popular native butterfly species we present to you in our special article.