Hi all, let me try to clear up a few things. I'm not really looking at the carnivorous plants as an control measure, just want to have fun and try some interesting plants. The cutworms I have are leaf eaters not root eaters but there are different types of cutworms and some may well eat roots. They are the larva of certain moths and grow very fast. I have caught some at the first sign of leaf damage that where less then 1/4 inch long, put them in a jar to study them and fed them leafs from my tomato plants (I cut the leafs with leaf miner damage - not good leafs) and in a few days I had this! Nasty things! Another thing they seem to really enjoy is finding young seedlings and cutting the plant at the soil line. This kills the plant and to really piss one off they don't eat the top of the plant. They cut it just for spite I guess. The one at the top right is about as big as they get, too big for the fly trap? I will research the sarracenia. I would love to try and get away from using pesticides to control the darn things but so far the only thing I have found that works is Sevin. I try to use as little Sevin as possible so I will find the cutworms from time to time when looking over my plants. I have been smashing them with my fingers - yuck. It sure would be fun to drop them into a carnivorous plant instead. Just for spite ;-) Take care, DC

You can probably use some insecticidal soap to deal with what appears to be very small insects. The damage on the zinnia leaves looks a bit like what you'd find from just-hatched tiny caterpillars. The little dark specks are likely droppings (frass). Did you check the undersides of the leaves yet? That's where they often hide. When I see them, I just smoosh 'em with my finger. If you notice wasps buzzing around, they're hunting caterpillars and other pests and may have already taken care of them for you.

They are scale, an insect that feeds on phloem sap. Remove them individually by scraping them off with a fingernail or tool, or use a Q-tip soaked in a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water. They can also be effectively treated with a systemic insecticide containing Imidacloprid. Al

Here are four suggestions for getting your cat to stop eating your houseplants. 1. Cover the plant with an unappealing surface. Wrap the plant in tin foil or a plastic carpet protector with the knobby side up. Your cat might not want to walk across an unpleasant surface to reach your plants. 2. Select Plants Cats Despise. Some plants are simply not suitable for cats. 3. Spray the Leaves of Your Plant. 4. Plants should be strategically placed.