Little Green Caterpillars

Discussion in 'Pests, Diseases and Cures' started by Lidders, Jul 4, 2010.

  1. Lidders

    Lidders Apprentice Gardener

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    Hello!

    I'm a first time gardener. My husband and I have planted some yellow flowers (no idea what they are) and now they are lovely and blooming a vast amount of little green caterpillers have decided to have a feast on the leaves. They have left lots of little black poo's behind too - or at least I think they are poo's - maybe they are eggs??

    How do we get rid of them? And what are they? I thought caterpillars were supposed to be friendly???

    Help!!

    Thank you
     
    Lidders, Jul 4, 2010
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  2. Marley Farley

    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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    Hi Lidders & [​IMG].. This is caterpillar time now & no, they are not your friend at all in the garden, plus lots there are everywhere & appear to be green, so unless you know what plants they are on or can put up a photo it is very hard to say, other than cabbage whites on cabbages or Nasturtiums.. Have you seen many butterflies around these unknown plants.? Look forward to your reply.. :thumb:
     
    Marley Farley, Jul 4, 2010
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  3. Lidders

    Lidders Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi Marley Farley!
    Thanks for your reply. I'll go and take a photo of the plants and work out how to upload them onto here. Give me the evening and I'll get it organised!!

    Back soon!! x
     
    Lidders, Jul 4, 2010
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  4. Lidders

    Lidders Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi again

    Hopefully these will work?
    Here is the flower

    [​IMG]
     
    Lidders, Jul 4, 2010
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  5. Marley Farley

    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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    :thumb: OK, so that is a pot marigold but I see no caterpillars.. :scratch:
     
    Marley Farley, Jul 4, 2010
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  6. Lidders

    Lidders Apprentice Gardener

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    This is the happy pot. We've had to throw away the unhappy ones from the unhappy pot. Did you need a photo of the offending caterpillers? My husband collected them and poored boiling water on them. It seemed quite mean to me!! I'm sure there is another plant with some of the caterpillers in so I could take a photo of them tomorrow. Would this help?

    Again, thank you for your help on this.
     
    Lidders, Jul 4, 2010
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  7. wiseowl

    wiseowl Admin Staff Member

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    Hi Lidders Its probably the (Small) cabbage white Butterfly:)

    [​IMG]
     
    wiseowl, Jul 5, 2010
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  8. Lidders

    Lidders Apprentice Gardener

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    Yes those are the bad boys right there...

    You mean to tell me my husband boiled to death lots of white butterflies?? :(

    I have another plant with them. How do I get rid of them without a mass murder? Or is there another cull due??

    :o
     
    Lidders, Jul 5, 2010
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  9. wiseowl

    wiseowl Admin Staff Member

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    Hi Lidders Well you could inspect plants regularly and pick off the pale yellow butterfly eggs and caterpillars when seen and squish them,or the other alternative is collect them and release them somewhere where they won,t do any damage,that way your conscience would be clear and they would have a fighting chance :cool::)

    Small Whites only lay one egg in one location but Large Whites lay in clusters. So I suppose it takes longer for the Small Whites to lay a large amount of eggs!:)
     
    wiseowl, Jul 5, 2010
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  10. Lidders

    Lidders Apprentice Gardener

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    Brilliant. Thank you for your advice. I'll pick them out and send them to the field at the bottom of my very long street. I like butterflies so I feel mean just boiling the buggers to death. I'm not the murderous kind :flag:

    Hopefully my plants wont get munched too much after this. You gotta keep a close eye on the garden. I didnt think there was going to be so much drama!!! :D
     
    Lidders, Jul 6, 2010
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  11. Butterfield

    Butterfield Gardener

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    My daughter and I found a green caterpillar actually chomping on one of our flowers (we both screamed in suprise - very girlie!) and then released it into the wild! She told me that they walk on studs and don't have legs - she was right and I think she knows more than I do about bugs - she's only 7!
     
    Butterfield, Jul 7, 2010
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