Cutworms Destroying Impatiens: Identification & Control

Classic Cutworm Damage

Stems cut at soil level, plants toppled overnight = cutworms (moth larvae). They hide in soil by day, feed at night.

Control Methods

1. Cornmeal/bran bait: Scatter around plants. They eat, swell, die.
2. Night hunt: Flashlight, pick off (curl into C-shape when disturbed).
3. Collars: Toilet paper tubes, yogurt cups pushed 1" into soil around each stem.
4. Diatomaceous earth: Ring around plants—abrasive to soft bodies.
5. Bt (kurstaki): Spray soil surface—ingested when they feed.

Rabbit Check

If cuts are angled/ragged and higher up, suspect rabbits. Fence or repellent needed.

Prevention

• Remove garden debris (overwintering sites).
• Till soil in early spring to expose pupae.
• Encourage birds, ground beetles.

Cutworms are cyclic—worst in spring, decline by summer.