I was very proud of my mullion moth caterpillers on the verbascum, only to look on the homepage here where they say destroy them with sprays, why ever do that?
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I have had a glorious collection of the checkerboard caterpillars this year. Now the plants have been eaten, and cut back, they are starting to resprout. Can't see any caterpillars at the moment - is that because they are all moths now? And will there be another generation of caterpillars this year, or are they a spring thing?
They'll be pupating underground - think it'll take quite a while before they appear as moths, according to Wiki it can take up to 5 years, but I don't know how reliable that is
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My verbascum is now full of holes...after 17 of these beasties had fun munching their way through the plant. But, I never use chemicals, enjoy seeing all sorts of insects & creatures, so I picked off all the leaves with a caterpillar on & then poked them through the wire fence at the bottom of my garden, which seperates me from a field. Hopefully they had enough leaves to feed on, & can easily pupate underground.
My verbascum leaves were full of holes but I dont think it was the caterpillars, the holes were there long before the caterpillars hatched. Mine were holed by tiny green shiny leaf beetles, they had a go at almost everything in my garden, but t
he new leaves come through ok.Anyone think I am correct there?
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Posts
Wild Mullein as opposed to the cultivated varieties. This one http://wildedibleandmedicinalplants.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/mullein.html
I think if you google mullein moth there will be photos.
you could start here
http://ukmoths.org.uk/
In the sticks near Peterborough
I was very proud of my mullion moth caterpillers on the verbascum, only to look on the homepage here where they say destroy them with sprays, why ever do that?
I suppose that for some people the plants are more important than the moths, instead of regarding them as complementary
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have had a glorious collection of the checkerboard caterpillars this year. Now the plants have been eaten, and cut back, they are starting to resprout. Can't see any caterpillars at the moment - is that because they are all moths now? And will there be another generation of caterpillars this year, or are they a spring thing?
They'll be pupating underground - think it'll take quite a while before they appear as moths, according to Wiki it can take up to 5 years, but I don't know how reliable that is
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
5 Years! gosh, no digging to be done there then.
My verbascum is now full of holes...after 17 of these beasties had fun munching their way through the plant. But, I never use chemicals, enjoy seeing all sorts of insects & creatures, so I picked off all the leaves with a caterpillar on & then poked them through the wire fence at the bottom of my garden, which seperates me from a field. Hopefully they had enough leaves to feed on, & can easily pupate underground.
My verbascum leaves were full of holes but I dont think it was the caterpillars, the holes were there long before the caterpillars hatched. Mine were holed by tiny green shiny leaf beetles, they had a go at almost everything in my garden, but t
he new leaves come through ok.Anyone think I am correct there?