Small Black worms hatching, eggs everywhere...

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TamaraFaye Fritch, TX(Zone 6b) Jul 28, 2004

When I checked my plants this evening, I found a large mass of small caterpillar-looking creatures (50+) on top of a sunflower leaf. They were black and 1/3" long, and probably just hatched. I caught them to feed to a cricket, then found more under another leaf. Upon further snooping, I found many-many of the sunflower leaves were covered with eggs underneath, and I could not crush the eggs without damaging the leaves. So I collected all the hatched ones and jarred them, then hosed the area down well. They almost look like bag worms, only no bag, and seems a little late and hot for those. I garden organically, and wonder what could dispose of them safely, since the hungry mongrels are hatching so near my Aug/Sept corn, potatoes, okra, and other important plants. (not to mention the lovely Jerusalem Sunrise Sunflowers.) Any help would be appreciated. In them morning I will mix up some squash bug spray (H2O2, Palmolive and H2O) and give that a go...

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TamaraFaye Fritch, TX(Zone 6b) Jul 28, 2004

This is a great sight for identifying caterpillars, though it was no help this time

http://entowww.tamu.edu/extension/insctans/identification/caterpillar_pests/couplet0.html

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Horseshoe Efland, NC(Zone 7a) Jul 28, 2004

Black, 1/3rd inch long....no other colors?

Bt is your best bet for worms.

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TamaraFaye Fritch, TX(Zone 6b) Jul 29, 2004

Thanks, Shoe, I need to get some of that. Someone identified them as tent caterpillars that love to eat Sunflowers. Not my Sunflowers, by golly, I will get some Bt tomorrow. I caught most of them and put them in jars to see if they were baby caterpillars, and we could have some pretty monarchs. No such thing, these are definitely nasty worms that feed on leaves.
LovemCornius (Golden Bantam soon)

Post #973895
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