How to spot it

Fat, smooth caterpillars, gray, brown, or greenish, up to 2 inches long, that curl into a C when disturbed. They hide in the soil by day and feed at night.

What it does

They cut young plants off at the soil line overnight, often leaving the top lying beside the stem.

What to do now

• In the morning, dig gently around a cut plant to find the caterpillar.
• Hunt with a flashlight at night.
• Scatter a Bt or spinosad bait around young plants.

Keep it away next time

• Put a collar around each transplant: a paper cup with the bottom cut out, or a cardboard tube, pushed an inch into the soil.
• Clear weeds and turn the soil 2 weeks before planting.

Helpful supplies

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Plants it affects