Hello. Well i took a VERY wild shot and bought 'Bayers Rose and Flower Insect Killer'. I looked all over it, for instructions, to NOT apply to succulents. I didnt see any, so I bought it and soaked my adenium with it.

The caterpillars started to fall off the moment they got sprayed. BUT the next day, smaller ones were back! Eggs hatched I guess. So instead of spraying every 14 days, as it says, I am soaking it DAILY!

The adenium is bare to the tips on most stems, and the others are saved, except for the blooms. I do have some buds still coming out, so I am hoping I am not burning them off. THEN I inspected my other smaller new adeniums, that are 'named and expensive varieties'! I found a few eggs on one of them, and squished them off. I am checking them daily, for eggs, I dont want to spray them. So far i dont see damage from the spray, there is next to no chemicals in the spray. It has .003% of Cyfluthrin in it. The rest is 'other ingredients'. Water? The amount is so tiny, it is either super powerful, or it is meant for rose blooms, and they make it very light, to not burn the blooms, but still kill pests.

I haven't had this problem in YEARS!!! There are not even butterflies around my passion vine, that is where they usually lay their eggs. But they only eat a tiny amount, and the vine is HUGE.

I am assuming this has something to do with Hurricane Irma. Ever since it came through, I have lost most of my special plants, my trees ,my lawn got chinch bugs, the first time in years, timing for blooming is off. Now I have caterpillars on my adenium.

At the moment, I sprayed it again this morning and I didn't see any on it, and no eggs. So it might be under control. BUT if anyone knows anything about this Bayers Rose And Flower Insect Killer, if I am doing more harm than good, let me know. Thanks for the reply SoCalStewart...someone is looking:)

Hi LB I saw these on two nurseries in Fl that had larger numbers of adeniums and looked them up. They were from oleander moths and can strip a plant in short order. Now that you don't see anymore caterpillars I would wait 10-14 days before spraying again and remove any you see in between by hand as you don't want to expose yourself to unnecessary exposure to pesticides either.

I have seen the Oleanders eaten alive by their caterpillars, these are the Gulf Frittillary caterpillars, i have seen then in flocks all over the passion vine, but not lately, so i thought they wee gone, for the season,it is 'winter' now. they can also strip the Oleander as well. I have stopped spraying and am looking at them closely for eggs, just hoping that the spray isnt going to cause more damage then just killing the caterpillars.

The only bugs I've seen attacking my plants are the Oleander Bug cats. They'll strip a plant in short order. I use Demon (sparingly) on them. Look on the underside of the leaves for egg clusters.

i never heard of 'Demon'. Is it a spray,soil drench,or what? Mine are gone for the moment, i inspect them all daily for eggs,so far,no new ones.

Demon is an insecticide made by Syngenta. 1/2oz to gallon of water. Pretty powerful stuff. I'm sure there are other "friendlier" bug sprays available. I like (and respect) the Demons power and quick knockdown ability. I mainly use it to keep termites and carpenter ants away from my house. And the seasonal attack of the Oleander bugs.