CUTWORMS, AND HOW TO CONTROL THEM 



Arthur Gibson, Chief Assistant Entomologist, C.E.F., Ottawa. 



No insects do as much general damage in vegetable gardens as the cater- 

 pillars commonly known as cutworms. They are present every season in more 

 or less numbers in almost every district in Canada. Although their destructive 

 habits are fairly well known, it is, however, remarkable how few growers take the 

 necessary precautions to protect their crops from their ravages, or to destroy the 

 insects when their work is seen. Cutworms do not, in fact could not, work in 



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Fig. 2 — Cutworm and moth, Agrotis ypailon Rett. Both twice nat. size. 

 (Copied from Swezey.) 



such a manner as to render it difficult to detect their presence. When they are 

 abundant, the evidence is only too apparent, and all who have a garden, whether 

 this is small or large, know what the results will be, if these caterpillars are 

 allowed to continue unchecked their work of destruction. The damage done by 

 our common cutworms amounts to an enormous sum of money every year, and this 

 loss could be largely prevented if growers would adopt the proper measures. 



In Eastern Canada there are about a dozen different kinds of cutworms 

 which any season are liable to do much damage. The most regularly occurring 

 species is the Red-backed cutworm. This one never, it m)uld seem, fails to 

 appear in destructive numbers. 



The habits of cutworms in general are similar. They all have the cutting 

 habit developed to a high degree, and when not feeding at night they hide beneath 



