Even though the weather is cold, cutworms have already been active in the province, said Shelley Barkley, a field scout with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. There have been reports of cutworms in winter wheat in the southeast corner of Alberta, as well as in a field of 2023 seeded forage in the Calgary area.
Cutworms that overwinter as larvae are extremely hungry at this time of year and are looking for green vegetation to dine on. The best thing you can do to prevent this is scout your fields. Nothing replaces boots in the field and eyes on the crops.
If you find cutworms in your field, please report them here at the Alberta government website.
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Results of cutworm finds have been reported here at alberta.ca.
Cutworms sometimes don’t make an impact on a field. But when they do, the outbreaks are significant and can last for years. A cutworm outbreak can cause severe economic damage.
The key to successfully managing cutworms is identifying the species that are causing the damage. Through an understanding of the cutworm’s biology, lifecycle, preferred habitats, behaviours and other factors, the weaknesses of the cutworms can be exploited, and the pests controlled.
To learn more about cutworms, please visit the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network website.
