Many cutworms overwinter as partly grown larvae. The moths deposit their eggs on plants growing in the field in the fall. When their host plants are killed by planting operations the cutworms shift their feeding to the next available plant. Fields that are planted using no-till or reduced tillage methods are prone to cutworm problems and many producers use at planting treatments of insecticides on such high risk fields. In conventionally tilled fields, areas that had substantial amounts of green vegetation present at planting should be scouted especially carefully.
Cutworms can be difficult to scout for because infestations are often irregularly distributed.
Treatment is recommended when an infestation threatens to reduce plant stands below 35,000 plants per acre in an area large enough to justify treatment. The frequency and length of skips created by cutworm injury are also important treatment criteria. As with thrips, plants become relatively safe from cutworm injury once they reach the 3 to 4 leaf stage. This year all cotton in the state is involved in some phase of boll weevil eradication. This means that boll weevil pheromone traps should be present in every field in the state.