Probably Gypsy Moth

if you spray all foliage with Bt you get rid of Caterpillars and nothing else

Btw Funnny when the noise of cats munching is louder than the sound of your car rusting out ;-)

Byron

Could be Gypsy Moth, Eastern Tentworm, or a number of other moth larva that are hatching out now. Bacillus thuringiensis - Kurstaki will help for the first two or threee weeks of life. There is also a natural occuring virus that is infecting both of these buggers now, if the weather is cooler and wetter than normal, that is more effective than anything we have available.

I've been finding little green caterpillars on the underside of my rose and raspberry leaves. I've been spraying them with garlic/cayenne mixture, with a bit of soap. This is my first year trying the spray. I haven't been able to see a lot of difference yet, but I'm hopeful.

Those could be the "Rose Slug", a sawfly larva, and need a different treatment. Insecticidal soap has worked for me, I more often get them on the hardy Hybiscus then on the roses, maybe Neem oil sprays.

Hi,

I also happened to notice that underneath the affected trees there is some sort of black spots developing on the plant leaves of what grows underneath them. Also black spots all over the car parked under those trees.

What is that all about?

Adam

Would that be their droppings?

Hmmm...Not sure Kate. I suppose it could be, it just seems that the size of the spots are bigger than the caterpillars are at this point..lol. But I suppose, what else could it be. I hadn't thought of that.

Thanks

Bt should take care of them immediately. Over the long haul, be sure to do everything to encourage paper wasps in your neighborhood. They are natural predators for catepillars. And if you don't swat at wasps or disturb their nests, they are very friendly. I have a nest I need to relocate from under my daughter's slide. Every time she goes down (or up) the slide, the wasps get crazy.

Help!!! Caterpillars are grossing me out! I live in western suburb of Boston and I just got a nasty surprise too. I was so excited to see my beautiful but slow growing lilac shrub bloom, and went out to cut them to bring indoors. After I removed most of the leaves I had a wonderful bouquet. BUT THEN I SAW THEM! Tiny whitish caterpillars crawling or resting on my lilacs! I have no idea what kind of caterpillars these are! I had to give up my bouquet and took them outside. What a shame. How do I get rid of these disgusting things? Would a soapy spray work?

I just read in the latest issue of The Avant Gardener that there is a new pest moving into the NE - the winter moth. The caterpillars from last year's crop should be hatching out now. The scientific name is Operophthora brumata. It originated in Europe, moved into Canada a few years ago, then into the PNW and is moving into New England. The article doesn't describe the caterpillar, but does say that the University of Massachusetts says that dormant oil sprays will kill many overwintering eggs, banding trunks with paper and sticky stuff (Tanglefoot, etc.) will get a lot of caterpillars, and Bt, insectival soaps and spinosad will get more. Using all of these, probably more than once, will probably have the most effect, although it's too late for the dormant oil sprays this year. If a tree is defoliated, water it well, apply an organic mulch, but don't fertilize, and it should grow new leaves. 4 years of defoliation can kill a tree.

I just hope this pest can't handle the summers in the south, as we have enough pest bugs down here, but I feel for all of you in the NE. And for all my relatives in Vermont, who will be fighting them too! I would think that you could get more information from the UMass website, but Avant Gardener doesn't give an address.

Why hasn't anyone posted an image of their pest? Identification really and truly helps decide which, if any control methods are necessary. It also helps put the mind at rest.