Is this a cutworm?

[GneissPlace]

It looks non beneficial to me:-/

Also, does anyone have a good resource that I can go to to learn about all the different garden pests and how to deal with them? Is there a good educational app or a website that is geared specifically to this matter?

I want to be able to tell what is beneficial and what is not.

Thank you!!

 

[GneissPlace]

Or maybe I could read an actual book too! Haha

 

[Chuck]

It looks non beneficial to me:-/

Also, does anyone have a good resource that I can go to to learn about all the different garden pests and how to deal with them? Is there a good educational app or a website that is geared specifically to this matter?

I want to be able to tell what is beneficial and what is not.

Thank you!!

That is not a cutworm. It is a grub worm and the larvae of a june bug. It is not beneficial. Their favorite food is plant roots. But that particular worm looks to be an adult and if so is benign and has stopped feeding and is just waiting to metamorphose into a June Bug. It is the little ones that do the damage. A cut worm is usually a greyish green color and curls up into a ball when you touch him. They actually cut young seedlings off at ground level. Much worse than grub worms.

Cutworms DB - Bugwoodwiki

wiki.bugwood.org

 

[GneissPlace]

Oh my, I have a lot to learn.... thanks for the link to bugwood wiki I am seeing tons of life in my garden and I'd like to know what it all is.

 

[Chuck]

Oh my, I have a lot to learn.... thanks for the link to bugwood wiki I am seeing tons of life in my garden and I'd like to know what it all is.

A vegetable gardener needs three things to take care of any worm or insect you will encounter. Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), a spinosad based insecticide and Neem Oil. All are safe for people and pets

 

[GneissPlace]

Oh good! I will put those things in my amazon cart and then in my shed! Ready for combat! Something already ate my baby mint plant. I think it was this (attached pic). I found it at the base of the plant less than an inch under the soil.

 

[Chuck]

Oh good! I will put those things in my amazon cart and then in my shed! Ready for combat! Something already ate my baby mint plant. I think it was this (attached pic). I found it at the base of the plant less than an inch under the soil.

Yep that is the culprit. They are difficult to control. The best way to stop their damage is to put a collar around the plant. I cut the toilet paper cardboard center into sections about an inch long and then split them to put them around the plant and then scotch tape it closed. Works every time. Once the plant has some size to it the cutworms will leave it alone.

 

[GneissPlace]

So I have officially met a cutworm. What a piggy it was. Eating all my mint up. I will start putting the toilet paper roll technique to use pronto!

Thanks a ton!

 

[Chuck]

So I have officially met a cutworm. What a piggy it was. Eating all my mint up. I will start putting the toilet paper roll technique to use pronto!

Thanks a ton!

I don't think there is a seedling that they won't destroy. From asparagus to zucchini they eat em all. But when they destroy a plant they stay close by for a few hours and you can usually find them. Putting collars on row crops like beans isn't feasible so finding them is the next best option.

 

[GneissPlace]

Is it usually just one cutworm that does all the damage or do they kinda congregate? So if I find one cutworm the plant may have a chance at living?

 

[Chuck]

Is it usually just one cutworm that does all the damage or do they kinda congregate? So if I find one cutworm the plant may have a chance at living?

They are fairly solitary. You might see damage every 3 or 4 feet for a normal infestation. But after a cutworm destroys a plant he will spend the daylight hours under the soil and when it gets dark he will move on to the next plant. He crawls on top of the soil at night so he can travel quite a distance.

 

[Tetters]

Do you see much vine weevil in USA @Chuck ?

 

[Chuck]

Do you see much vine weevil in USA @Chuck ? View attachment 77525

We have insects called a vine weevil but they are a beetle. We don't have AFAIK any of the caterpillar/grub that is in your picture. Ours all have orange front legs

 

[Tetters]

This is the vine weevil we have, and the above grub is where they hatch from. The leaf is a clue that these things are about. Those grubs are voracious feeders and whip all the roots off the plants. The wretched beetles are hard to kill - you need a hammer. They are clever too, and play dead, escaping when you`re not looking.

 

[Chuck]

View attachment 77526 View attachment 77527 This is the vine weevil we have, and the above grub is where they hatch from. The leaf is a clue that these things are about. Those grubs are voracious feeders and whip all the roots off the plants. The wretched beetles are hard to kill - you need a hammer. They are clever too, and play dead, escaping when you`re not looking.

Well, we have that beetle or one that looks very similar but I have never seen the worm, at least not the worm you pictured. Perhaps our flavor of beetle has an orange legged larvae. Below is a picture of the June Bug I have. There are other flavors as well.

June Bugs Have Arrived in Indiana

Summer nights often combine the elements of relaxation, entertainment, and fun; however, with the arrival of June bugs, we must also incorporate a

allpest-thoroughcheck.com