Wednesday, May 30, 2012

And Yet More Caterpillars

 Just wanted to share what we are enduring in the natural world.  They are EVERYWHERE.  I can't hang laundry outside, sit outside, walk under a tree, etc. without having to pick caterpillars off myself before I go inside.  Only to pick a couple off the counter who sneeked in when I wasn't watching.  As I write there is one on my neck.  YUCK!!!  This too will pass.  (I hope.)



Posted by thousandflower at 12:30 PM

4 comments:

  1. Anna M. BrannerMay 30, 2012 at 1:03 PM

    YUCKY. I know you said the trees would survive, but will they have a long term affect on any of your other garden stuff?

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  2. thousandflowerMay 30, 2012 at 1:14 PM

    We're a little worried about our new strawberry patch. We've been picking them off the plants several times a day.

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  3. The Weaver of GrassMay 31, 2012 at 2:39 AM

    Interesting although, as you say yucky. Have you any idea what they will become in their next stage? Have you had them in other years?I do hope they don't have an adverse effect on your produce.

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  4. thousandflowerMay 31, 2012 at 9:23 AM

    Weaver, they do this on a sort of irregular cycle of 7 to 10 years. I think there is mainly a balance between the caterpillars and the predatory wasps. Each population grows and crashes. They are about to make cocoons and then turn into brown moths which will lay egg cases that look like bands of plastic on all the trees. We will try and scrape off as many as we can find but the wild crabapples will be full of them. Luckily they don't seem to like lettuce or other vegetables. Only the strawberries seem threatened.

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