I know they pupate so will probably return.

==>>> bug populations are cyclical over the years ... one years disaster.. does not mean you will see the problem again.. perhaps for another ten years .. and thats presuming your plant source didnt send them to you ...

e.g. the various year cycles of different cicadas ....

i guess i just wouldnt be editing plants based on what happened in one growing season ...

ken

Don’t you have Hibiscus, not Hyacinth?

Yes, thank you for the correction! Got the one name stuck in my head after googling it without finding the answers I needed, Thank you, will repost question correctly.

Will bud worms infest hibiscus or hydrangea plants?

My question was if anyone knows if bud worms find hyacinth or hydrangea appetizing or not. I am aware that bud worms will pupate in the ground soil, I have discarded all soil and pots from last year, sterilized all gardening implements, and power washed the decks, siding and anything else that might harbor a moth, egg or pupae. I am trying to grow plants that are unpalatable to bud worms this year, and maybe this winter will freeze around -30 degrees Fahrenheit, possibly killing off any remaining pupae or at least most of them. Last year’s infestation was terrible, so I am trying not to encourage them to want to live and breed here. If anyone knows which plants bud worms do not prefer, I would love to have that list. In the meantime, I would like to know if i need to watch my Hibiscus or my Hydrangea with extra vigilance and if it’s common for bud worms to take over and kill either species. Any help regarding the taste preferences of bud moths would be appreciated!

Hibiscus again, presumably. I think you are over worrying. Some years you’ll get pests. Some years you won't. The fact you had trouble last year does not mean you will this year. And pests are often species specific, so what bothers one plant won’t bother another. “Bud worm” isn’t a single creature. Lots of different pests lay their eggs in buds. So, simply avoiding certain plants won’t necessarily make any difference to whether you get problems.

You can’t eliminate all risk. If you keep an eye on your plants you can catch problems before they become too great, sometimes by simply pinching off the affected flower or leaf. Afaik bud worms don’t kill anything. They just disfigure.