I haven't dealt with that particular caterpillar, but I did have an oak tree with hundreds of tentworms eating it. I sprayed with BT and they were mostly dead by the next day. The ones that were still alive were getting carried away by the wasps. In my experience neem oil seems to repel insects/mites but it is not a poison itself.

OMG!!! And I thought that mealybugs were the bane of my existence!!

It this what they look like?

http://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/bug-watch-lily-caterpillar

I can't use BT as I am raising Monarchs in the house and won't have it on the premisis. Internet suggested Neem, but I could do systemic.

Yep Donna, those are them!

Hi Kristi,

First of all, I'm glad you're doing better with you knee replacement and secondly....the little B@#%!*&S!!!!! Are they common to the southern states or all over the US? I haven't seen these satan's spawn in my area and I hope I don't, I have enough trouble with mealy bugs and aphids!!!!

Fred

I don't know Fred. I've never seen these before. Timing is suspicious. Well. I may have to hobble out and spray.

Is what you have Spodoptera picta, - from what I read, it is native to Australia. Did you receive any plants from Australia?

If instead it's an army worm, and you want to avoid chemicals, you might want to order parasitic wasps for your greenhouse. I'm really hoping its not Spodoptera picta as we don't need another non native pest here :(

Glad to hear you're doing well with the knee replacement. - J

Oh hell no... I just went out and hand picked off those I could and then sprayed a systemic insecticide. I am now in agony!! Just 5 days postop!

The handpicked ones went into soapy water and then down the garbage disposal!

Btw....only new bulb additions are from The Netherlands.

Oh Kristi, I am so sorry you are going through this now!!! OMG 5 days post op.Besides me, I know many of us wish we lived close enough to help:(

Oh, Dave's Garden, June newsletter has an article on buying and using Neem oil,

Heal well! Please be careful battling those hungry caterpillars warrior woman.

Amaryllis worm!!! Yikes! I have gardening friends in South Africa and Australia that has them and they can devour your collection easily if not controlled early. They had to use poison...unfortunately. The moths that lay the eggs that turn into these worms don't survive our cold winters in the North. Thank goodness! Take it easy there Kristi and try to squish as much of them as you can.

Kristi...How about sealing your greenhouse and using that Pyrethrin based greenhouse fogger?

The problem with that is that it will kill all the little critters that live in the greenhouse, little frogs and lizards types.....

Oh yes I forgot about Kristi's other pets! How about trying Sevin dust? There is a Sevin liquid spray now.

Donna, everything I read about these caterpillars is scary!. If they are as bad as claimed. They not only eat the plant but create so much damage that the plants often die!!!! No plant, no other bugs for the frogs and lizards to eat and well..... Even worse, if they get out, they could devastate a lot of nurseries that grow outside.

What is strange is that I find references to them being in Australia but not in the US.

Perhaps some of them should be taken somewhere for a positive identification. If they do turn out to be what is suspected then I'm afraid the authorities would take matters into their own hands and most likely destroy the entire contents of Kristi's greenhouse. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.......I keep looking, so far nothing up here...
Here's another thought, Kristi, you keep some of your bulbs in a fridge before planting but I don't think you uses that particular fridge for anything other than bulbs... no fruit right possibly from foreign lands??

Another thought is that some of your bulbs were from other people and who knows if some of those bulbs originated in Australia but why would it take so long for the caterpillars to hatch? Also, could it be anything to do with those butterflies you are hatching?

They could be from other bulbs in the amaryllis family too...crinums, hippeastrum, clivia etc. Or a mother moth that came from outside got to enter your greenhouse and layed eggs in there. It is said that it has no natural predator so humans will really need to take care of getting rid of them.

I haven't introduced anything new this year other than 2 Hippeastrum bulbs from a list member's garden, a huge Sonatini order, and a moderate order from Royal Colors back in March. Just started seeing them recently when I planted smaller bulbs.

The Monarch butterflies are in the house Donna, and those have nothing to do with these pests. The refrigerator that I store bulbs in is only used for that purpose.

This is is so frustrating.

I am hoping that these are army caterpillars. Spray from a couple of days ago seemed to help. Found 2 yesterday and just 1 today.

I have a few nibbling here and there on my hippies outside. Nothing that bad that I will need to use poison. I'd take them caterpillars over virus. Lol

Glad your spray is working Kristi. So what did you ended up using?

Glad things seem to be working out!!

Bonuses systemic insecticide. May respond to spoons as if o have to since its in the greenhouse. Of course, saw a newborn anole while I was poking around.

All entrances/openings are covered with screening. Don't know where these came from.

Kristi, if you called the agricultural extension agent in you area they might send some out to verify

Maybe send rhe picture to one of the universties, also to verify.

Maria, I've seen pictures of them that are similar to Kristi's.

I've seen what introducing exotics into an environment without any natural predators can do to. I hope they are army caterpillars, seems most reasonable, but if not moving quickly is important.

This is a good reminder of why a phyto is required when bringing plants in from other countries.

I thought my current mealy bug problems were frustrating! My guess is that mealies are easier to get rid of than caterpillars. Heal well, Kristie! Have someone else battle the pests while you're in healing mode. :)

This is a better picture.