Are you looking for some ways to get rid of caterpillars on your trees and plants? If yes, then you have reached the right place. As in this post, we will tell you some ways to keep these larvae away from trees and gardens.
Almost every individual hates
caterpillars not because they are insects but because they invade the garden
every year by eating the leaves of various plants and trees. On the other hand,
few people think about how caterpillars can cause damage in a garden as they
are cute and fuzzy and will turn into beautiful butterflies and moths in a few
days.
But they don't know when they are
hungry; they eat leaves and can quickly destroy many trees, plants and crops.
So, this is just an introduction to caterpillars. To know more, let's talk
about caterpillars.
What
Are Caterpillars?
Caterpillars are indeed larvae of
butterflies and moths, and if you talk about the caterpillar's species, there
are more than 20,000 living in different parts of the world. Some of the
caterpillar species are agricultural pests that only feed on crops, and others
are rare and a real threat to a wide range of garden plants and trees.
They are also called webworms and
typically make their appearance in the spring, fall, and also in summer
seasons. However, if there is a lot of rain, you can also see them on various
plants and trees. So, let's talk about some of the common caterpillars you can
see having a food fest in your garden: -
1. Cutworms
These ruthless creatures
will eat the new baby seedlings right from the base. However, they enter your
garden in different colours and hide in daylight. Some of these
cutworms feast on trees as well. They mainly curl around the stem of a plant and
cut them just above the soil's surface.
2.
Armyworms
They are green or dark
coloured, having a yellow stripe and mainly like grasses.
3. Cabbage Loopers
These caterpillars are pale
green in the shade with stripes on their back. They like to eat garden greens, like
lettuce, kale, and chard. Cabbage loopers are long an
inch and a half and will turn into moths with wings and silver spots.
4. Hornworms
The favourite food of
hornworms is tomato plants, but they feed on potatoes, eggplant, and pepper
plants. They are large, green in the shade, and sport a horn at the end of
their bodies. However, you can easily see them and pluck them from your plants
as they can damage the whole vegetable plant within a short time.
How To Get Rid of Caterpillars on Trees and Plants?
Caterpillars are quite
challenging to prevent as they can easily travel a long distance to lay eggs.
But with the help of a few effective control solutions, you can quickly reduce
their numbers. So, let's talk about these techniques: -
1. Soap and Water
This is
one inexpensive remedy to stop these caterpillars from eating your plants. For
this, you have to dissolve a small amount of organic liquid in warm water and
then pour this solution into a spray bottle.
Next,
spray this mixture on vegetables, roses, or other plants caterpillars are
feeding. However, this remedy does not kill caterpillars. Instead, the soapy
water makes the leaves slippery and discourages them from walking or eating the
plants.
2. Neem Oil
Neem oil
is another natural insecticide that will not harm humans and plants. So, buy a
cold-pressed neem oil as it is widely used to control many garden pests, spider
mites, caterpillars, Japanese beetles, etc.
Take 1
gallon of water, two tablespoons of natural neem oil, and one teaspoon of
organic liquid dish soap. The main ingredient is neem oil in this recipe, and
the liquid soap will act as the emulsifier. When you spray this mixture on
plants and trees, you will see the result almost instantly, as caterpillars
will die soon.
However,
if your garden has a large number of caterpillars, repeat this process after 7
to 14 days.
3. Caterpillar Repellent
Plants
The best way to control caterpillars infestation is growing natural repellents of insects and other
pests nearby. Some of the plants that repel caterpillars are: -
●
Sage
●
Mint
●
Lavender
●
Wormwood
●
Mugwort
This
approach is best to protect young trees, but they are more effective on small
plant ground crops.
4. Pepper And Garlic Mixture
This potent mixture will kill the caterpillars within a few days. The reason is it works well as a natural repellent for various plant-eating insects. To make this mixture, you have to take one tablespoon of dried red pepper flakes, one teaspoon of liquid soap, one whole bulb of minced garlic, and an entire gallon of water.
Blend
this mixture thoroughly and let it stand for at least 24 hours. After that,
spray it wherever necessary to keep these hungry friends off the plants.
5. Bacillus Thuringiensis or
BTK
This is
the naturally occurring bacteria that is mainly found in soil. However, it
contains a highly toxic protein to certain pests like caterpillars and mosquito
larvae. The reason is that it breaks down its gut because they die of infection
and starvation.
The best
part of this BTK is it is non-toxic to human animals and is one of the best
garden insects.
6. Pick Them Up
I know
many of us did not want to hear this, but it is true. That means if you want to
get rid of caterpillars, then one of the efficient ways is to pick them up in
their early stage but in a nature-friendly manner.
However,
don't act fast; otherwise, they spread to the whole tree or plant. That means
pruning the small tips of the affected branches and taking the caterpillar
along with their webs.
Make sure
to gather them in a bucket and release them far away from your property but
don’t forget to wear gloves while collecting them. Moreover, if your garden has
many caterpillars, picking them up will not be the best solution.
7. Slippery Duct Tape
This is
an ingenious the best way to control
caterpillars from your garden. That means to cover the tree trunk or plant
with one or two duct tape wraps. This method won't kill any caterpillars.
Instead, when they move from one place to another, feed on leaves, they will
slip down and will not be able to reach the foliage.
You can
use any duct tape with a slippery surface for this work. But make sure it must
have strong glue so that it will resist different climatic conditions.
8. Vinegar Solution
Vinegar
can be used and is widely used as an excellent insecticide and natural
pesticide to deter various insects. To make the solution out of the vinegar,
mix two tablespoons with around 4 litres of water. Store this mixture in a
bottle and spray them on those fat green worms visible eating the leaves.
The Bottom Line
Getting
rid of caterpillars is quite a challenging job. These caterpillars also make
their shelters high on trees and produce networks of webs protected from
various climatic conditions and natural predators.
So, the
above are some of the best ways to
control caterpillars to protect your garden from them. I hope you like this
post on how to control caterpillar infestation!
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