i usually let them eat my plants as long its only 2 or 3 caterpillars so they won't be killing my plant and so they can become beautiful butterfly's to pollinate my plants
I have a new garden and caterpillars have invaded only one type of bush. Currently they are all decimated but also covered in a thick white web. Opening the web there are masses of white and I think, black banded caterpillars about 1" long. Neighbours say by the autumn the leaves start to come back. Does anyone know what they are and, please, how do I get rid of them.
I noticed this on one bush in a local hedgerow recently. It looked very strange. A couple of years ago an entire row of trees in Jesus Green in Cambridge were stripped of leaves by these caterpillars but the leaves all grew back later in the year and they don't seem to have affected them in subsequent years so hopefully yours will just be a one off.
My spindle tree has been attacked this year too - It recovered really well last year with no treatment - Caterpillars have to eat something! and it's better than losing the cabbage family!! Talking of which, scrunch up some tansy leaves in your hands and scatter them over your brassicas. Cabbage white butterflies don't like this. Whilst writing BIG THANK YOU for last year's advice re sawfly. Those gooseberries that I replanted in matting have not been attacked - Treated those left behind in fruit bed with tons of soapy water - worked well.
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Verd - first you need to purchase a large butterfly net, then you run around neighbouring gardens with it, then they call the police....
I'd agree with Dove - more likely to be the dreaded slug/snail family on sunflowers.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Ok thanks!
Come Brassica Time - Pop a sprig of crushed tansy in the centre of each plant and hey ho no more caterpillars.
I noticed this on one bush in a local hedgerow recently. It looked very strange. A couple of years ago an entire row of trees in Jesus Green in Cambridge were stripped of leaves by these caterpillars but the leaves all grew back later in the year and they don't seem to have affected them in subsequent years so hopefully yours will just be a one off.
My spindle tree has been attacked this year too - It recovered really well last year with no treatment - Caterpillars have to eat something! and it's better than losing the cabbage family!! Talking of which, scrunch up some tansy leaves in your hands and scatter them over your brassicas. Cabbage white butterflies don't like this. Whilst writing BIG THANK YOU for last year's advice re sawfly. Those gooseberries that I replanted in matting have not been attacked - Treated those left behind in fruit bed with tons of soapy water - worked well.