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
Publications
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Related IFAS Blog Posts
Caterpillars that wreck your lawn
Christine JacksonMay 9th, 2024Warm weather means that turf is currently in active growth. So is the hatching of caterpillars. Armyworms and Sod Webworms. Each of them causes damage to turf and ornamental plants. Armyworms: These worms can be found year-round in central Florida and feed 24/7, 365 in packs or a small army, hints the name. They […]
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, […]
