We often hear from growers in the summer about cutworm issues in high tunnel crops, oftentimes long after the damage has been done. It is always hard to retrace the steps and figure out what caused the damage. As we get ready to think about starting transplants and getting high tunnels going, now is the time to think about past cutworm problems so we can hopefully catch the culprits and work on the problem in the future. There are many species of cutworm, though they all have a habit of curling up when disturbed. Photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series , Bugwood.org. Who are the cutworms? “Cutworms” is a label that applies broadly to a large group of caterpillars with a wide range of life histories. Some of the insects live in Minnesota year-round, while others migrate on weather fronts. There are approximately 10 different cutworms and armyworms species we see in Minnesota that could cause the damage people report. The fact that cutworm applies to ca