They spend the daylight hours below the surface of the soil. Here's how to control these little critters. Know what you're looking for.
Cutworms are gray or dull brown fat caterpillars.
They are 1 to 2 inches long with shiny heads. Look for cutworms curled near the base of young plants. You may have to dig a few inches into the soil to find them. Dig into the soil each morning and destroy any cutworms you find. Protect young plants from cutworms by placing a paper collar around new transplants.