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- Two weeks ago I suggested that you control the "Woollybear Caterpillars" that
were and still are eating their way through our gardens by spraying either Carbaryl or a
softer option of spraying the Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria marketed by several
companies as Dipel® HG. A local nursery person, who suggested that it was not a control
for "Woollybear Caterpillar", because it is not on the label, challenged that
suggestion.
- Now I must admit I had to scan the entire label and discovered that the "Woollybear
Caterpillar" is indeed not specifically mentioned, but I’d had terrific control
using it for years against the woolly critters, so what’s up?
- It seems that I cannot make an ‘off-label’ recommendation to you even though
upon checking the Dipel®HG effect on "Woollybear Caterpillars" with PIRSA
Entomologist, Nigel Hopkins, I was assured it would in fact control the woolly critters.
Mainly because one caterpillar stomach is the same as another to our little Bacillus
thuringiensis. So there you have it folks!
- Nigel also recommended that to control the "Woollybear Caterpillars" more
easily, you should hand pick the largest of them and squash them by hand, since they are
not as susceptible to the tummy-rotting Bacillus thuringiensis as the smaller
caterpillars, woolly or otherwise.
- The Dipel® HG spray is also pretty easily removed by rain, so you have to select your
time to spray, by making sure it’s not going to rain for a few days. I’d imagine
even heavy dew, would dilute the active Bacillus too.
- This makes control even using Dipel® HG seem less certain, but then there is always
Carbaryl. It might be more toxic, but it certainly works on all caterpillars, or you could
just take a bit longer and squash all the "Woollybears" by hand. Then again you
could leave them all alone too and let them do a little judicious pruning.
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