Wisteria Critter!

oh hello pita!! nice to have you back
sorry i dont know what it is, someone will, im sure but i like it whatever it is!!

How awful!!! Our weather is terrible here in Scotland too.

Hi Pita .. How are you ?
... that's a very good photo :o)

Ohh thanks TT, isn't the weather dreadful Linda & Sticki, I'm still wearing winter jumpers! Don't suppose any of you know who my new hairy visitor is then - he's bought his extended family along to destroy the wisteria! (Not a friendly visitor thats for sure!)

I think its a Gypsy Moth caterpillar, Pita...

It very pretty though!

Awful rain up here too! :( goo d pic

Oh my goodness, what a mess its making, stick it in a jar and take it to the GC, going to check the one you bought me now,

just googles what Bamboo said, its definetly the gypsy moth catterpillar

Thank you Bamboo - it does look like that doesn't it? We have never had them before and they make quite a mess - wonder if you can get rid of them (they are pretty) but they are destroying the wisteria! I've been taking photos of them and they are quite incredible up close! Watch this space!

Hope you are all well? Nice to be back! x

tough one - you could pick some off and kill 'em, or you could spray the whole thing with a pesticide spray - but that seems a bit terrible really, to kill them all. I leave that particular dilemma up to you - certainly with a heavy infestation, they will be feasting on the leaves.

I don't want to kill them - it seems a bit crawl and they make great photography practice! :D

have you got lots of them, if not can't you take them off and take over to the back of where clive lived and put them there,

No, they would spread like crazy and then the woods would be infested! Yorkshire - you naughty girl!

well your gonna have to do something about them or you will lose that wisteria

They won't kill the Wisteria - but they may completely strip all the leaves that are currently present before they're finished. Usually the plant responds by putting out a few more leaves, but hopefully, they won't eat the lot anyway.

I have just checked the one Pita bought me Bamboo, mine is o.k. thank goodness

They make a real mess - it looks like bird pooh everywhere! They eat all the leaves and leave the stems!

I have to say I'd do a bit of a 'cull', Pita - I wouldn't like squishing them, but really, when they descend in a horde like this, there's not much else you can do, and its better than killing the lot...

think you are going to get the boss man to take charge and decide what he thinks you should do,

I think I'll have to do that - do you know if they are poisonous? Yuck!! Creepy!!

no idea, you will have to google it again

No, they're not, well not to us anyway, they're just moth larvae. I wouldn't be squishing them with my fingers though, ugh...

I'm not squishing anything! Yuck! Thanks for all your help Bamboo - I went out to investigate again and there are loads of them! They are fascinating to watch! :D

I'd love to know when they 'disappear' or pupate - wonder if they'll do that on the wisteria...

Ohh yes Bamboo - that would be great to see, the Wisteria is outside the dining room window (its closed, just in case I get hairy visitors!) I'll keep watching and see what happens, camera at the ready! They were very active around 8pm last night - might have to get my flash torch out tonight and investigate any activity! Hee hee - I feel a David Attenborough moment coming on! :D x

I suppose you could end up with a mass 'invasion' of Gypsy Moth later in the year, not sure about their life cycle, do they pupate over winter? I should look it up really...

well you two are keeping me busy with these moths, I can't wait to go down to see the mess they are making of that Wisteria, its a shame as it looks beautiful over the patio door,

;-)

I have no idea about caterpillars part from what I read in the Very Hungry Caterpillar book! hee hee - I think its fab even if they are eating the wisteria - and wow - they really do munch!! All information greatly received!

Lord, I remember that book well, used to read it to my kids all the time...
Thing to remember about caterpillars, Pita, is that they all turn into something else, and they're all larvae - butterfly, moth, fly, beetle. Some will be things you welcome, like Peacock butterflies, others won't be.

Great advice Bamboo - thank you! The critters are still munching away - some are quite big now! We have found it fascinating watching them (so much so that I wrote about them in my gratitude book!) :D
Have a lovely weekend.

Pita x

Biting me nails over the tennis...!

Enjoy! x