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Mini maggot/caterpillar killing everything off.

catswincatswin Posts: 3
in Problem solving

I seem to be losing loads of my seemly healthy plants to this pest.  The tips of the plant stems seem to have been pulled together and just being eaten away from the inside.  If I examine the plant tip out rushes a very hasty green caterpillar/maggot and it just drops off, but what is this?  It has already killed off half a dozen fuchsias and is also attacking just about every healthy growing soft plant tip in the garden.  It moves extremely quickly - as soon as you disturb the plant you see it whizz out and drop down.  Thankfully it has left begonias and geraniums alone.  Maybe because the leaves are too strong.

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Caterpillars  have specific food plants, they won't eat everything. They have a season as well, no one caterpillar species won't be around for long. nip out the tops of the fuchsias, they'll come back. It's not in the interest of any animal to kill its food plant. What would they do next year?



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Never use insecticidesimage

    They kill everything and destroy what little balance the average garden achieves with all those sprays used indiscriminately at the first sign of an insect



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601

    This may well be the tortrix moth caterpillar: it has quite wide taste and can be a real nuisance, weakening the plants and making them drop their leaves. It is especially difficult in the greenhouse. The best way is to nip off the affected tips, keeping your hand underneath to catch the escaping caterpillar. Some books recommend chemicals but it can actually be quite difficult to reach the pesky things inside their rolled up leaves and systemic sprays really are nasty stuff. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138
    Posy wrote (see)

    ...  Some books recommend chemicals but it can actually be quite difficult to reach the pesky things inside their rolled up leaves and systemic sprays really are nasty stuff. 

    They usually end up killing off the predatory insects too and totally destroying the balance, making the original problem worse rather than better


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





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