"Kayla" wrote in message
...

I haven't seen any butterflies. It seems they are getting fewer every
year. That's too bad because they are beautiful and it's nice to see
them in the gardens.

Lori

It's a real shame that there are fewer and fewer butterflies every
year...but is it any wonder when everyone seems to be inclined to kill every
caterpillar they see, whether they know what species it is or not? This
type of thinking has to stop. The caterpillars that become butterflies have
to eat SOMEthing!

I own a garden centre, and I've had customers come in with a caterpillar in
a jar and ask, "I found this guy eating a leaf on my shrub, what should I
spray?" When I ask if they were defoliating the shrub, the response is
sometimes, "no, this is the only one I saw." Well DUH!! Then if that was
the only one, you've already solved the problem, haven't you? I usually try
to identify the species before making any recommendations, but more often
than not, I try to discourage people from spraying anything unless it's
absolutely necessary to save the plant, and then only if the plant is even
worth saving! Even if caterpillars are defoliating parts of a tree early in
the summer, the tree will grow new leaves in no time at all and no serious
damage will be done. But many people are just way too 'spray-happy', and by
trying to protect every leaf on every one of their plants, they kill all the
insects, good or bad. And one of the consequences...no more butterflies!
This happens far too often.

Regards,
Rick A