I have the same thing going on with many of mine- There are little green catapillers eating them. What is left of the leaves I have been rubbing to collect and squish those green meenies- I don't know how else to treat them... Are there any better ideas out there?
Julie

The problem seems to be exceeding terrible for me this year. I don't know what species of butterfly or moth, but if you look close, you'll find green caterpillers eating the leaves. That is, when there were still leaves! Seems you hadn't been checking your aquilegia very recently. I usually catch them before they denude a plant. I am sure there are insecticides that would kill them, but I just pick them off. Usually takes about 3 pickings at 2-3 day intervals.

FYI, they never go after my Thalictrums.

Rick

You know now that you mention it I do remember seeing a green worm/caterpillar on them over a week ago and I squished it and didn't give much more thought to it. This garden that these are in are sort of in my neglected garden, I have been so busy with my other gardens that are a little newer and need me more to get out the weeds/grass that came up again. Shoot! about my beautiful columbine now I will have to figure out how to control the bugs next year.
THANKS!!

I had deer or rabbits eat some of mine back earlier this spring, but they look like they recovered. I will have to keep and eye out for green worms also.

Loopers. Nasty little critters - I have parasitic wasp eggs heading my way, ones that happen to be exceptionally fond of them. You'll also find they LOVE rose leaves and fruit trees. Also cabbages, and some other things. Squash 'em if you only have a few, soap and water wash if more - or do what I need to, I have so many. T. Pretiosum is the wasp.
-Marie

Neem (Bioneem) stops those columbine predators in their tracks (works on leaf miners too)--unfortunately, a cloudy NON-RAINY day is necessary in order to spray the plants. If and when it stops raining, Neeming the columbines is a top priority for me.

Kate

Kate,
Does the neem need to be applied at a certain stage of a leafminers existance. I thought once they get to the stage where they're tunneling in the leaves it's too late.
thanks for all of the great info everyone.
suz

I just hit mine with a neem and pyrethrin based today - the nasty loopers were not the least bit happy. It kills on contact AND does their eggs in. Should work on the leaf miners as well, but I only had one plant infected with those this year.

-Marie

Kate, why a cloudy day to apply neem? Is it somewhat caustic to the leaves?

Suz,

Anything that chews the sprayed leaves should be affected, which is why it kills leafminers as well as the worms. I've seen a marked decrease in leafminer infestations since I started using neem 4 years ago.

Rick, I don't know why it should be applied out of direct sun, but that's been the instructions on every neem product I've used, so that's what I do.

If you buy neem concentrate and mix it with water (it's much more economical), the water should be soft for best results.

Kate

I had only seen the little green worms on roses until yesterday when I noticed some columbine leaves were being devoured. With the roses, I used to handpick the worms until ruby-crowned kinglets discovered them and feasted on them, taking care of the problem with minimal residual leaf damage. The first sign of worm damage came to mean the kinglets would be arriving soon.

Yesterday I handpicked the two worms from the columbine and put them in the birdfeeder hoping birds would be alerted to their presence and look for them in the garden.

Neem is an effective insecticide, but it doesn't distinguish between the targeted insect and beneficials.

Great information everyone.

I had saw fly larvae on one of my pines this spring and I killed them using a mixture of 16 oz., 70% rubbing alcohol, 8 oz. water and 2 TBL of Ivory dish soap. Killed the little buggers on contact. I use this mixture on my indoor plants, too.

You need to be sure to use either Ivory or Dove dish soap and not Dawn or any other dish detergent. Detergents can damage your plants.
Mike

You can add Palmolive(atrocious spelling)to the good list. Remember Madge on the old Palmolive commercials?

Rick

Way to go Mike! I have a habitual problem with sawflies and larva on my mugos- I have not sprayed with the systemic chemical this year because I do not like to kill the benificials- and am worried about the birds nesting in them- ect ect- I have been squishing instead- and I just cant keep on top of it! Not to mention they are getting larger- and squishier (how gross!)- and they have the most alarming habit of lurching backwards when they see you coming! I am trying this as soon as I get home tonight!
I am so pleased to know of another- less stressfull (to me and the environment) way to kill those green meenies!
Thanks!
Julie

Those little buggers must be early this year. I had an infestation last year after my columbines had bloomed. I'd better check mine out to see if I have a problem. No damage is visible from a distance yet.

Lurching, that is exactly what they do. Picture the bugs as out of a animated flick, and the lurching is actually quite comical.

LOL Julie - you made me feel a little more normal. I'd read about people 'picking' them off and when I went out found it was much easier just to squish them. I agree though - there are some to the size of being gross.