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 EEEK! Cutworm!!
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl

22944 Posts



22944 Posts

Posted - May 02 2010 :  07:18:51 AM  Show Profile
I found a Yellow Underwing moth caterpillar in amoung my tomato seedlings. I looked it up hoping it was a pretty butterfly or even a non-harmful moth that I could allow to cocoon in a jar for Nora to watch. But no...It's a cutworm variety in it's caterpillar form! EEK! I can't let it live!!

Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl

3775 Posts

sherry
bend in the high desert oregon
USA
3775 Posts

Posted - May 02 2010 :  07:31:20 AM  Show Profile
howdy you farmgirl you, there is a bt that is natural to handle those worms. have you seen a tomatoe worm? they get huge and are kinda cool looking. bad for garden though. the bt is a powder and when the worm eats the leaf he gets a belly ache and stops eating. i am just getting violets and dandelions for jelly now. my daffodils are just blooming. we are so behind here. maters are still in house. is it warm enough there to put yours out?wow sherrye

the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl

22944 Posts



22944 Posts

Posted - May 02 2010 :  08:19:21 AM  Show Profile
Thanks Sherrye- This is the first one I have seen. I might have to look into getting something to sprinkle on the soil, I wonder if that is what killed some of my tomatoes that died before the weather turned bad. HMMM....sneaky things.

Nora is attached to this one, so I am going to let her "raise" it for a while, but once it cocoons I might have to do something to make sure it never comes out! LOL

Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl

13055 Posts


Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts

Posted - May 02 2010 :  8:45:35 PM  Show Profile
Oh Alee, that is totally gross!!! No way, I'd be pulling or burning all the plants. I hate, hate, hate those things. LOL.
Marly

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl

22944 Posts



22944 Posts

Posted - May 02 2010 :  9:14:47 PM  Show Profile
This is the beastie here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Yellow_Underwing

Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl

1735 Posts

angela
martinsville indiana
USA
1735 Posts

Posted - May 02 2010 :  10:51:20 PM  Show Profile
If you really want to protect your plants you can make cutworm collars. Wrap three layer thick foil around the base of your plants. You can also put a matchstick without the head in the ground agianst the stem of the plant. If you have seedling sprouts issues with them, plant seed inside of 3oz dixie cups without the bottoms. We have them bad around here. I am on year 2 of these methods, supposedly only 2 more years and I will have starved them out of the garden. I also am using seven dust, diatomectic earth, and epsom salts. Those are supposed to be fatal to them individually, combined I hope it will wipe them out. This is the first spring that my peas and beets haven't fallen over dead. The green beans will be the real test, they are the little buggers favorite!

Farmgirl Sister #1438

God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important?
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl

22944 Posts



22944 Posts

Posted - May 03 2010 :  06:43:46 AM  Show Profile
So far I haven't noticed anything falling over dead, but where there is one I am sure there are more. Right now I have my tomato seedlings in dixie cups, so when I transplant to the garden I will just pop out the bottom. Thanks for the advice, Angela. I will also get some DE and sprinkle that around the plants.

I am really glad I decided to identify the little bugger. I mean I know caterpillars all eat plants so I knew I didn't want him by my seedlings but I didn't know they were plant assasins! LOL

Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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