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Caterpillar infestation

kwack_craigkwack_craig Posts: 18
in Problem solving
Hey guys, new to gardening. This year I have decided to put some effort in an make my garden a nice place to be. 
I've planted quite a bit over the last month but this weekend have come out to find most of my plants are over 50% destroyed. 
Uppon inspection I've found everything is covered in these tiny green caterpillars. And one tree has every leaf curled up covered in what I think are greenfly? 
Any advice on what I can do? se

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  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    The caterpillars are probably sawfly larvae - looks like an aquilegia leaf, so probably aquilegia sawfly: http://www.touchwoodplants.co.uk/aquilegia-pests-and-diseases.htm
    You can try blasting both caterpillars and aphids off by using a hose spray attachment.
    A better long term solution is to try and encourage more birds into your garden, especially the tit family as those will quickly gobble them up.  The easiest way to do that is to hang bird feeders in trees and bushes near your plants.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872
    @kwack_craig. Welcome to the forum. I had sawfly attack my Echiums and looked more or less the same as what you have been infested with. I got my answer from @nultyphilip224 on how to protect your plants and it also deters slugs and snails. 
    You would need to buy some Neem oil (bought mine online) and use 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of washing up liquid mixed into one litre of water. You can then disperse it into empty household squeezy bottles and that's it. I sprayed my Echiums and the grubs have not been back and you can also use it on plants that are vulnerable to slugs and snails. My lupins have been well sprayed. It is not harmful to anything and you can use it whenever you feel the need.  Hope this helps :)

  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    And welcome to gardening, its very addictive, be warned!

    When you start to plant a garden, the grapevine gets going and every pest within miles seems to descend on your plants to gobble them up, like you have just laid out the best feast ever and everyone wants to be at the party. The trick is, rather than resort to chemical warfare, is to attract predators to your garden that love to munch on the newly arrived pests. Ladybirds and lacewings are friendly bugs that will eat the things eating your plants, but they need to be encouraged into your garden by planting things they like, and it takes time for a natural balance to develop. There are some pests though, that you need to deal with pronto, but try and identify a solution that does not harm the friendly guys - the good predators and the essential pollinators.

    When I started creating my own garden, one of the best recommendations I received on this forum, was to watch the Alan Titchmarsh series ‘How to be a Gardener’. Forget the garden makeover horrors, he is an excellent communicator and explains how to achieve this balance, but how best to zap the invaders when necessary. 
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited April 2019
    I've often read good things about Neem oil, completely natural and organic, safe to use on edibles and generally folks seem to say it does work.
    I've not had cause to try it myself, but would if the need arose.

    PS - your little pieris (1st pic) seems to be suffering from sun burn or wind burn (or both) and doesn't look very happy there.
    The're plants that grow on the edge of woodland so prefer dappled shade and a soil that's moist and isn't alkaline

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’m just not sure how Neem oil differentiates between the goodies like ladybirds and lacewings and the not so goodies like the aphids 🤔 

    Can anyone help on this one ?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • kwack_craigkwack_craig Posts: 18
    Thank you for the advice everyone, I've just ordered a bottle of neem oil, I'll use this in the short term. 
    But long term I will get some feeders, a bird bath and insect houses and thing else to help to attract birds and ladybirds. 
    Seen you can buy live ladybirds online, anyone had any success getting them to stick around?


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    If you’ve got aphids and no insecticides the ladybirds will come 🐞

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited April 2019
    That's a healthy looking lupin there - lots of folk struggle with those so not everything is suffering. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • kwack_craigkwack_craig Posts: 18
    BobTheGardener said:
    That's a healthy looking lupin there - lots of folk struggle with those so not everything is suffering. :)

    Haha thanks, yeah pure luck with that one, threw seeds down 2 years ago an that's the only thing that's lasted and doesn't seem to be attractive to the pests so far, touch wood

  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Caterpillars are the price we pay for butterflies.  Strong healthy plants can withstand a degree of predation by bugs, so weed, feed and water conscientiously.  The plants may look a bit ragged, but the caterpillars are only around for a few weeks in early summer, and when they pupate the plants will recover.
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