If you like butterflies, you have to put up with caterpillars. They're kind of like the adolescent stage for the beauty queens of your garden. However, caterpillars can be destructive, and not all of them grow up to be flying flowers like Monarchs and Zebra Swallowtails. Some, such as Gypsy Moth and Redhump caterpillars, are true pests. They can strip a tree of its foliage in short order. Here's how you can take care of problem caterpillars in your garden.
Find out what kind of caterpillars you have. Monarch caterpillars have distinctive stripes. Certain spiny ones turn into other beautiful butterflies. Visit your library or bookstore to be sure what you have.
If you only have a few caterpillars here and there, and you know what kind they are, pick them off your plants by hand and put them in a bag. If you have an infestation of pest caterpillars, take stronger action.
Bagworms, leafrollers, and uglynest caterpillars are too numerous to pick. You can spray them and other pest caterpillars on your ornamentals with Ortho® RosePride® Insect Killer Ready-to-Use. As always before using a bug control, make sure your bug is listed on the product label.
Caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies and moths. They can be serious garden pests, depending on the variety. They can be smooth or fuzzy, dull or bright. Caterpillars shed their skin as they grow, until they're ready to make cocoons. With luck, the cocoons in your yard will produce beautiful butterflies.
