Caterpillar Defense

[Habibi]

Does anyone have any effective solutions to get rid of caterpillars?

All im able to find for this is promoting bats/birds to live on the property to eat moths and butterflys.

 

[Gantz]

make some organic bug juice...or as i like to call it -> MACE
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=41330&highlight=mace

 

[Habibi]

If this works neem oil must prevent them as well?

 

[Dignan]

Search the garden supply websites... there's some bacteria or something you can spray that feeds off of them.

I've also had it recommended to me that you mulch a large area around the base of your plant using CEDAR mulch. Apparently the 'pillars don't dig cedar, dig?

Peace-

Dignan

 

[Guest]

neem

 

[LORD BENIS]

Or you could distract them with some companion plants. Aristolochia and passionflower are favorite foods for catapillars.

 

[Guest]

Hello Habibi!
Look around at some garden centers for BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) or Spinosad. Both are organics and work great for caterpillars. Spinosad is also a good product for spider mites! Good Luck

 

[Guest]

Or you could distract them with some companion plants. Aristolochia and passionflower are favorite foods for catapillars.

id worry about that backfiring, causing a population boom!

 

[Dignan]

What if you distracted them by hanging up a sign that said, "25-cent beers! One mile THAT Way ---->."

Would that work? Or does that just work on frat boys and sorority girls?

 

[DJ_highst_]

Some good info so far, lets give this thread a bump since its the outdoor season.


What is the best time of year to use BT (ie best time time during moth/caterpillar life cycle), best way to apply it to the plant and how many times do you apply (for people who have experince with BT)?

I use Safer brand BT, last year, but had trouble applying it, so trying to so how everyone else does it.

 

[Deft]

Bugs hate cedar, lucky for me I have two very old and mature cedar trees in my yard. I burn cedar bark that sheds off the trees and builds up on the ground around them, good mosquito repellant IMO if its not windy.

 

[DJ_highst_]

Thanks Deft, so you have had pretty good success with cedar. DO you only burn it or do you apply as a mulch. Thanks Dignan and Deft for that tip.

I just found this deep in another thread and wanted to repost it here to make it easier to find.

**Originaly posted by I.M. Boggled and cited by IMB as "Verbatim (almost) information from the "Peaceful Valley Organic Farm Supply" website."**http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=15616&highlight=caterpillar



Caterpillars
Prevention Options Include:
• Farmers: increasing Brix (see Aphids above)
• Using pheromone traps for monitoring and/or trapping out adult moths
• Using confusion lures, if available for that species
• Applying parasitic nematodes for those caterpillar species that overwinter in the soil
• Interplanting Tansy, Mint, Marigolds or Nasturiums • Releasing trichogramma wasps and/or
lacewings
• Setting out row covers before moth flights.

Some Options for Light To Moderate Outbreaks:
• Releasing Trichogramma wasps and Lacewings weekly
• Increasing pheromone trap density and/or adding confusion lures if available for that species
• Handpicking or removing with an insect vacuum • Applying Bt (Bt Caterpillar Killer, Dipel DF).

Some Options for Severe Outbreaks
• Applying Bt (above) 1-2 times/week at night. • Applying oils, Sharp Shooter, Pyganic, Agroneem, Aza-Direct or Neemix.

 

[Deft]

Honestly I never thought about using it as mulch as the trees dont realy shed very fast and are very slow growing.

 

[Habibi]

glad this got bumped, today i go out and am inspecting my plants a bit, the 2 plants that began to flower in my garden have a few caterpillars on them to my suprise

im going to try and buy some cedar chips to use as a mulch, and if that doesnt work well my only other choice is some predatory insects, but i dont think theyll be effective outdoors.

caterpillars are the biggest pain in the ass, its aggravating to have to handpick them off sticky buds in the heat of the day

 

[Guest]

Safer Catapiller Killer

Safer Catapiller Killer

Safer Catapiller killer works pretty good!

I start spraying when i see white butterflys flying around.




-GL

 

[Highlighter]

That Safer 'Caterpillar Killer' (Bacillus thuningiensis) works great, used it on my roses and ornamental shrubs and trees after an infestation of Winter Moths and Fall Canker Worms hit the area. I used a sprayer to apply, but imagine it would be effective in a small bottle sprayer.
A wk before I used Neem on a small infested Beech tree, and that did the job too, and they didn't return.
I prefer Neem for MJ tho. Keep a spray bottle @ the grow.

 

[Habibi]

i am 100% against foliar sprays. i dont like them what so ever, whenever i spray i end up having some sort of problem. beneficial insects are the way to go

praying mantis are more novelty then anything they dont have that big of an impact of pests. i just ordered 25,000 trichogramma wasp eggs, hopefully theyll do the trick

 

[Guest]

i am 100% against foliar sprays. i dont like them what so ever, whenever i spray i end up having some sort of problem.

I have to disagree with you on that. 5 years of foilar spraying outdoors and I personally have never had any problems with neem/diamond nectar/kelp/Bt and Spinosad. But don't take my word for it. Check out the Stickys on the Organic Thread.

 

[JeffSpicoli]

aw man i just was lookin at my flowerin lady, and i have found several caterpillars feedin on buds... NOOOOOOOOOOOO shoot, i duno what to do... Some of the buds have taken some damage, and they still got a good 4 weeks to go

 

[elkslayer]

Safer Catapiller killer works pretty good!

I start spraying when i see white butterflys flying around.




-GL

Green Lion is dead on. Although be careful of them nematodes as they need to be refridgerated and most are not. I quit the bought nematodes in favor of cultivating them fresh, myself, in my weekly compost tea regimen.

Buy Safer's caterpiller killer at a hardware and open it to make sure it doesn't smell like vinegar/etc, as it should smell like a mild rising bread dough. I sprayed mine last weekend, mixed in with my compost tea, and will hit them again at about the third week of bud onset(mid-late Aug in Cali). If it is working and moist you will actually sea a white sheen on the bud leaflets indicating BT growth.

Also, being 100% against foliar is not the way to go in my experience, but to each his own I guess.

Good Luck.

ES