i thought cutworm morphed into whatever .. early in spring..

if that is true.. i dont understand how giant ones have a choice of when they turn into moths ...

hmmm

ken

ps: not adverse to resorting to chems.. if they are bugging you that much ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Bt may be the only organic attempt at control but only if eaten by younger larvae. May not affect older larvae and effectiveness may vary from one cutworm species to the next.

tj

When presented with a serious adversary....I bring out the big guns....systemic insecticide!!
Not at all organic....but when all else fails....

Ken part of that is right. The moth lays the eggs in the fall then they come out in the spring...suppose to stop eating before summer but they aren't.

I pulled two off this evening...didn't even find any slugs!
But they are at differnt stages now...some large some smaller but still distructive. I'll take slugs any day these %&(&%$# are on an eating frenzy. I looked up some ways to combat them. BT was one way, hand picking and maybe Bayer...but next spring I will ruff the surface of all the soil and be diligent in this battle.

I guess vegie growers deal with this all the time...I just go to the farm stand it's easier! lol

Thanks all for the info. I just thought there would be an easy method to get rid of these pest.

Yes, the easiest method is to use some insecticide :D

This year the cutworms haven't been as bad for me, it has been the European Corn Borer. I've seen them on assorted perennials before, and even in one or two hosta scapes, but this spring they were devastating different areas of my hostas. One spraying of Diazinon and that got rid of them, and if I see them again I'll switch to a systemic.

Chris

Those little &%$!#*s are ruining my vegetable garden this summer. This is the first time I have ever had to look them up and learn about them. Hopefully they will stay out of my hostas! Luckily my 12 year old is very protective of the veggie garden and it willing to go look for them.

As Gloria (hostared) knows, I caved - I couldn't take it any longer. No slugs to speak of - just these damn long narrow 'holes' or slices of 'air' in many hosta -- and clematis flowers being chewed up before even opening (which could be another pest). But last year the earwigs got to me and I decided that since I had to put Simba to sleep in January, I have no pet this summer to worry about, so for the first time in 18 years I used a chem. On the whole garden - everything. It feels so good!!!! (except I know I have lost the good guys, too) :(

Westy

My dad has been vegetable gardening for 40 years and he's very serious about what he does. He knows cutworms.

One year I had cutworms in a hosta bed and he cut strips of cardboard (like from a cereal box), and put collars around the base of my hostas. Cardboard stuck up about 2 inches out of the ground...just a few inches out from around the base of the plant. End of cutworm damage right there.

The most common cutworms don't climb, and if your stalks are eaten off at the ground, this method WILL work. Just be sure there are no cutworms corralled inside the collar when you install.

Now, there are cutworms that do climb and the damage will be farther up the stalk, but I've never had experience in those, so hopefully yours are at the ground.
Gayle

Thanks so much for all the info.
Gayle these are climbers and not on the ground. I do know that method for garden veggies but it would be imposible to collar over 200 hostas and some of them are over a foot wide at their base! So for veggies and the smalls that could work. No these are up in the stems chewing the leaves. Not pretty when you dig deeper and see new growth chewed as well. Well soon I hope for the moths but like Westy and Chris,I think I might have to spray a few areas that are infested. But come next spring I will get this under control the little #@%$#&%$! lol Thanks all.

As soon as a hosta shows signs of cutworm damage, I spray that hosta with 7 right before dark. That seems to do it.

in other words.. no one suggested paying for a systemic.. its way over kill

ken

I think that is the plan next year is the 7 before the damage starts.

Ken I'm alittle nervous about the systemic because of our dogs. I plant grass for them and I know they don't nibble on anything but I just don't want to take a chance.

Our big babies are a Rottweiler & Dogue de Bourdox I would be sick if anything happened to them at the expense of a hosta.

I would try to put a collar of diatmaceous earth around them and down in the stems on the ones where you have damage already. Wear a mask if you are spreading alot of it (and if you have a partner to help you it goes alot easier. I usually have them hand me a cup of it while I spread it then hand back the empty one....it saves alot of tip toeing thru the hostas and bending over ...LOL.
It works on slugs too and is a natural product and safe for wildlife.
Make sure you get the garden type not the "swimming pool filter" type of DE. It will be cheaper at the feedstore.

Thanks Nancy. I've tried that along time ago and it worked OK on the slugs but never had this problem before. So next year it's war on.

Sluggo Plus (which includes Spinosad) is supposed to be good for cutworms. Might be worth checking out!

Thanks Melissa, but it's going to be hard core spray next year. I haven't found any in a few days so I'm removing the eaten leaves for a pleasing look...and if they come back I will hunt them down. Got the slugs under control but the cutworms have pissed me off. I won't be using any pellet products because of our BIG dogs. Love them more than the hostas...got to keep them safe.

Gloria last night I was planting a couple of minis in a big pot, moved a few others around. While digging in this pot I found a bunch of worms, about an inch long. They were brown with black stripes or vs/vs. When I touched them they curled up in a round ball. Are these cut worms? I have seen them in pots before, they smash pretty easy. Maybe they are another problem that creates holes and chews. geeeez it's always something with these hostas. Anyone have any suggestions on getting rid of these worms, whatever they are?

Nancy they are cut worms.
If you have large chewed areas that's who's doing it.
I take them and step on them. I've been hand picking them when I see the damage I know they are there. But I think I got most of them.

Suggestions are above in this blog for getting rid of them or what to do next spring before they get a hold of a plant. Many suggestions just try one. You have a dog and a cat so you may want to be carefull with what you use.
Good luck!