Colorado State University, bugwood.org
With Dr. Hector Carcamo
The pale western cutworm and the red-back cutworm are the insects to highlight this month. These species feed on all major prairie crops. They like to lay eggs on cultivated patches. So, no tillage has an added benefit to conserve moisture and keep the habitats less attractive to these to moths and reduce problems in the spring.
You can find information about these pests in the AAFC Field guide called Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada on pages 90 and 91. Kevin Floate recently published Cutworm Pests of Crops on the Canadian Prairies available free on line. These cutworms are on pages 56-60.