Cutworms: Night feeders
Identifying features: Gray-brown or green caterpillars that hide in the soil during the day and feed on plants at night. As a result, the damage is often only noticed late, when the plants are already severely damaged.
The main difference between grubs and cutworms is that grubs are the larvae of various species of beetles such as May, June and rose beetles, while cutworms are the larvae of moths (owls).
Damage to plants:Cutworms eat young plant shoots, leaves, roots and tubers, causing stunted growth. Crops such as brassicas, carrots, onions, lettuce and potatoes are particularly at risk. Here isa damage to carrots.
Combat strategies:
- Check for cutworms at night and remove them by hand.
- Attract birds to your garden that eat cutworms.
