Recently, we noticed this sunflower plant about to fall over. Looking a little more closely, we saw that the caterpillar shown in the photo was "sawing" the plant down. It looks like cutworm, but one normally thinks of cutworm causing damage at the base of plants rather than halfway up the stem. At any rate, it made for an interesting photo.
As far as how to control caterpillars, one way is to simply remove them by hand. This can be done in small gardens. There are also a variety of "Bt" products on the market. Natural enemies are not harmed, but caterpillars die after ingesting the bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis).
