Jenny wrote:

Jean,

I just read in the paper that there is a new caterpillar in E. Mass that is
decimating leaves and that is on top of the worst year for other
caterpillars ever. One possibility is that the intense cold killed the wasps
or beetles that prey on the larvae.

The caterpillars are overwhelming us here in W. Mass. Gypsy moths, tent
caterpillars, and a whole bunch of little ones we have no idea what they
are. They've chomped my Chionoides rhododendrons down to the stem and when I
went to the garden center this week I saw that theirs had big holes in them
too.


Hmmm. I haven't seen anything on them, so tomorrow I will look
closer. I did notice that my nishiki willow looked nice one day
and half naked the next day, and closer inspection revealed
caterpillars. If there are, indeed, caterpillars, can one spray
or something? Is there some non-chemical solution that would
work? Of course, there are some problems even if the answer is
yes. First, it would impossible to get to the inner parts of the
barberries--and these are huge. Second, I have a very bad
relationship with the neighbor, who wants the barberries gone, so
I am sure I would not have access to them from his side of them.

Maybe I should look more closely at my dogwoods too, to see if
they have any critters on them. I have seen a lot of devastation
of many types of plants here this spring. :-(

--
Jean B.