Caterpillars
Hungry caterpillars can cause a lot of damage to your precious plants. Your best defense is to scout your landscape on a regular basis. Look over your plants carefully a couple of times a week. If you see chewing damage, try to find the critter responsible. It's probably a caterpillar. Source: Gardening in a Minute, Caterpillars on Ornamentals
Caterpillars are the larval stage of insects in the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths.
Narrower Topics
Related Topics: Arthropod Pests, Caterpillars, Lawn and Garden Care: Pest Management
Related Topics: Biting and Stinging Organisms, Caterpillars
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Related IFAS Blog Posts
Caterpillar cascade: Where are all these caterpillars coming from across Florida? UF/IFAS has answers
Meredith BauerApril 11th, 2024Florida is full of caterpillars this month. But what are they and what can you do about them? Are they dangerous? Fast facts from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agent Jackie Lebouitz: Some common caterpillars are the tussock moth , the echo moth, oak leaf-roller and the woolly gray moth. […]
Springtime Caterpillars
Jackie LebouitzMarch 21st, 2024It’s officially spring, and almost like clockwork, several seasonal caterpillars have begun to emerge from our trees…and may have found their way onto our walls, benches, and well, just about everywhere. While their presence may be a nuisance to some, these caterpillars are (mostly) harmless and serve as an important food source for birds, bats, […]
Palm Leaf Skeletonizer
Stephen BrownNovember 2nd, 2023Introduction […]