"David Hill" wrote in message ...
Was going to get rid of some nettles earlier this week only to find one
clump swarming with caterpillars (Probably painted lady) several hundred and
all about 1/2 inch.
Late, but they may well miss the birds that so often have them with me
earlier in the year.
a few years ago I was going to spray nettles in the spring, only to find
they were all swarming with caterpillars, so I left them.
Within a week not 1 caterpillar left, watched Blue tits gathering them to
feed their chicks, so some wary nice blue tits but few butterflies.


These are probably Small Tortoiseshell. Painted Ladies do use nettle
but prefer
thistle and lay their eggs singly and thus do not produce swarms of
caterpillars. I live close to you David only a few miles away. In fact
I was brought up literally down the road from where your nursery is
now. Painted Ladies are having a good season.

--
Neil Jones- http://www.butterflyguy.com/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn
Bog National Nature Reserve