Cutworm (climbing)
Noctuidae
0 host plants
Last updated
Climbing cutworms are soil-dwelling caterpillars that climb plants at night, feeding on buds, new foliage, and young shoots, then returning to soil during the day. You will see irregular feeding damage on upper plant parts with no obvious pest visible. These caterpillars are active in spring and fall. Small transplants and seedlings suffer the most damage; established plants tolerate feeding on upper portions without serious harm.
Remove cutworms by hand during night inspections with a flashlight, checking the base of plants and surrounding soil. Create barriers around young plants using cardboard collars pushed into soil to prevent climbing. Maintain weed-free areas around plants, as cutworms hide in plant debris. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) can be applied to foliage to target young caterpillars, but timing is critical since these pests move between plant and soil. Most damage is manageable through good sanitation and hand removal.
Quick Reference
Larvae can be brown, gray, or greenish and range from 0.25 to 1.25 inches in length. They are most damaging to trees that have high weeds around their bases. Feeding is nocturnal and this feeding may damage leaves and buds. Generally controlled with dormant or delayed-dormant sprays.
Cultural Controls
- -cultural control Control weeds, grasses, and debris in the orchard that provide cover.
- Encourage natural enemies of cutworms such as spiders.
- Handpick cutworm larvae, using a flashlight to find them, if practical.
- Scratch the soil at the base of plants to find larvae in the daytime.
- Tanglefoot or a similar sticky material applied as a band to the trunk will stop movement of larvae up the trunk.
- Wrap the trunk tightly with plastic wrap to ensure the insects cannot crawl beneath the wrap.