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Holy Swallowtail Batman!!

How do I tell my guests that they've overstayed their welcome?! One was cute, but now they've brought the whole family!

Seriously though, how can I control this problem? I've never had a citrus tree, or any tree for that matter. Is there a right why to get rid of them? I don't wanna mess too much with the circle of life. Thanks in advance!

Comments (9)

  • 9 years ago

    You could try just washing them off. I don't think they will climb back up; as they tend to eat where they are hatched. After that you could either squash them or hope the birds will get them.

  • 9 years ago

    I sent this picture to a friend that has a butterfly garden. She's coming over to take them off my hands, err tree. If she doesn't come soon I'll have to take drastic measures. Lol

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yay

    I would imagine your friend has a mountain of Swallowtail cats, as they are so hated by anyone who cares about citrus. It is like saying I will give my Asian Citrus Psyllids to someone who loves them.

  • 9 years ago

    Here they are. Plus all the ones you can't see under the leaves. I feel better now that I didn't kill them, but whatever is left on my tree will meet it's maker pretty soon... Lol

  • 9 years ago

    I like that idea! After I feed the birds is there anything I can do to make my tree less attractive to these butterflies? I've read of people spraying the leaves with fish emulsion or neem oil. Does that apply to this or are those products for something else entirely?

  • 9 years ago

    My dog loves the grubs i dig out of my soil! I feel slightly queasy watching him wolf them down, but better in his guts than in my soil! I am so glad you managed to not kill them all! Swallowtails do need help surviving!

  • 9 years ago

    Yay,

    The best thing is to put a net over it when the Swallowtails are flying

  • 9 years ago

    I don't worry about my mature citrus since I can't reach much of their canopy anyway but I pay close attention to my little trees. If you examine the leaves closely, you can see the swallowtail eggs and you can remove them before they hatch. The eggs are laid singly on very new, tender leaves...often right there on top in plain view. They are round, orange, and VERY small....pinhead size. They are glued to the leaf but you can gently roll them loose without damaging the tender leaf if you are careful.