Loopers, nasty things will defoliate your bougainvillea toot sweet! They are on their second go at mine. The first time they defoliated them 100%. Armed with information (as a new Master Gardener), treated them with Bt. (Bacillus Thuringiensis). Take that loopers! It only works on worms, caterpillars. But it does work! and way less harmful than chemicals.

At our last place we had an apple that cross pollinated with our ornamental crab, two cherry trees and a self pollinating plum. I never did a drip line and they always did well. They were dwarf varieties. I never did get cherries or plums because the bird would always get them before they rippened. I'm in zone 5 though. What zone are you in that you need a drip system? I just mulched mine and watered really well. Young trees don't have far spreading roots. As they mature though the roots do spread very far and that is usually why a drip line works best in hot climate or dead of summer. Roots sit at about 3 or 4 feet deep. Here we have ferral and wild fruit trees on the property and most do very well that are healthy trees and I don't even water them since they're out in the pastures. Just water the tree deeply, not close to the trunk though and make sure water is getting at least 2 feet into the ground around the perimeter. I'm not sure 5 gallons will be enough if you live in a warmer climate. Of course it depends on the age of your trees or how many you have. When you do the basin method you don't have to water as frequently but it gets a deep watering. You can usually get away with once a week and the tree will do well and won't be stressed (or course depends on climate and variety).

Our lakeshore house is treated professionally a couple times a year for spiders (permethrin, I think?). The co. recommends three times a year. I held out for years but once they spiders began colonizing indoors as well as outdoor surfaces, I caved! Otherwise, we do it ourselves... Dog is treated with topical Frontline to keep ticks and fleas under control. Spring invasions of ants mean placing bottle caps of borax mixed with jelly under stove (where dog can't get to it). Dog DID get into some mouse poison inexplicably in a snowbank last season, so we are looking to end use of THAT. She was very lucky in that we got most away from her and got her to vet quickly--we discovered that new formulations (Tomcat's at least) are nerve poisons, not blood thinners, so all vet could do was force vomiting, give her activated charcoal, etc. So-o, for mice we are headed back to traps. Sorry to say that we have also had to control a huge population of chipmunks, which were beginning to get into walls. A bucket half-filled with water, the surface covered with styrofoam peanuts and a floating dish of sunflower seeds, plus a plank from step to lip of bucket. Chipmunks can't resist. I don't like to think about it... Husband live traps skunks, woodchucks, etc. that burrow under garden shed, releasing or disposing of them depending on species. Downy Woodpeckers... I enjoyed watching them on suet on deck in winter, but inadvertently led them to consider our redwood siding as good nesting/shelter, actually getting into a small attic! We thought for a while there that we would have to replace the siding. I stopped feeding near the house, which we festooned with shiny disks and streamers. (I think woodpeckers are spooked by fast-moving light reflections--like shadow of a hawk?) The onslaught slowed, then stopped. Husband patched the siding with hope it will not be necessary to replace boards and sections. In late summer, we trap yellow jacket wasps with apple juice baited traps we fashion from plastic water and pop bottles. (Google for instructions.) Our efforts seem to reduce the numbers after our food and drinks on the deck.

Well that's a relief! They certainly don't look as friendly as they do as full grown lady bugs. Thanks all for your input! One more thing... I just took another peak at my plants and perhaps other critters are involved but I'm noticing the larvae seem to be lingering on/eating new growth and munching away at the leaf edges.