Cutworms eat live plants, not dead ones in a compost pile.

If you have creatures you wonder about in the compost, please post a detailed description w/a picture.

Jean:

I know they eat live plants. I take precautions to avoid that. But there's been many a shovelful that I've seen cutworms.

Could I be possibly bringing them into the pile via grass clipping and fallen leaves, some survive on the outside of the core of the pile(where there's less heat) and then in the spring, the eggs have grown into the pupae??

Kevin

Cutworms eat much more then the newly germinated plants we usually associate with them, but it is living plant tissue such as weeds and grasses that keeps them alive. Screening the compost before applying it to the garden will help eliminate cutworms but will not help with eggs.

Here is a link that might be useful: About cutworms

Please post images of what you're finding.
Once we see them, we can be specific about potential issues, if any.

Jean: I'd like to but I don't see them right now.

Please take my word for it. They're CUTWORMS and they're in my COMPOST every spring.

Kevin

Perhaps you're seeing grubs? If so, the kind in compost specialize in compost, NOT live plants

Please describe what they look like. Color, size, shape, how they move.

Perhaps the youngsters of the green fruit beetle, aka fig beetle. Common in SoCal compost piles.

See this
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/forage/gjbnote02/note02.htm

Jean, who gardened in Long Beach, CA, for 30-some years

Here is a link that might be useful: gree fruit beetle

Jean:

It could be those if the grubs have the "clipping at the base of seedlings" action that cutworms do.

That site recommended Sevin. Are there any organic methods that have been found to be successful.

Thanks

Kevin

The best means of control is to encourage the predators, Tricogramma Wasps, some nematodes, birds, toads, earwigs, etc., and/or carefull application of certain insecticides sucha as Bacillus thurinegiensis. Pyrethrin based dusts and sprays have been used but they are very broad spectrum poisons that will kill many insects and have adverse affects on other species such as the toads.

I don't think of cutworms in a compost pile, either. You can't blame us for wanting to put all the pieces together before making suggestions.

Yes, there are 'organic ' controls, but it's important to know if you're dealing with grubs or caterpillers.

OK. I'll get a pic in the Spring. I'm sure they'll be there at that time.

Thanks Everybody.

Kevin

I have a similar issue with our compost: looks like a pupae? Can't quite tell. I've attached a photo. If it is harmful, what do I do to naturally control these things? Thanks for your reply.

That looks like a black soldier larva. If it is, that's a good thing in compost. Google "Black soldier fly larva" and check out the images. Then look for "black soldier fly compost".

This post was edited by TXEB on Sat, Sep 28, 13 at 20:35

Thanks, TXEB! After some more research, I believe you are right. Glad it's not the dreaded cut worm!