There's currently some controversy in the UK over the
"environmentally
friendliness" of using nematodes and bacteria as pest control.
How
species specific can they be? If BT destroys the caterpillars
of tent
makers such as Tortrix moths, will it not also destroy
caterpillars of
other moths and butterflies? Some caution may be advised.

There's no doubt of it and no controversy necessary. BT kills
CATERPILLARS. It does not discriminate between species, or even
beteen moths and butterflies. However, the BT that goes after
the Japanese beetle (or mosquito larvae) PROBABLY won't get
caterpillars.

As in all else dealing with pesticides, moderation rules. If
SOME pesticide works fine it is not true that MORE works better.


My preference is to hunt them down and squish them cleanly with
a gentle
squeeze of every tent.

That is the preferred method of killing most bugs. There is
something aesthetically pleasing about "squishing" bugs -- unless
you have one of those things about slime!

If I see a caterpillar munching on a tree and know that it will
become a pretty butterfly, I will move it to a plant some
distance removed from my bonsai.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature
encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++