First visit to GardenStew? Learn more Already a member? -> Sign in     Not a member yet? -> Register

You are in Forums > Gardening Other >

What to feed Caterpillers



To hide these ads please register / sign in




Gizmo
Port Saint Lucie Fl.
Posts: 542
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:46 pm   Post subject: What to feed Caterpillers


Hello all, I'm a newbie at this so Here it goes. I live In Fl and love to be in the garden when the sun is not so hot lol. Recently I have adopted some caterpillers from the next door people because they had no leafs on the bush that they were trying to live on. Now I need some help keeping them alive. Theres no other bushes like that in the comunity. I gave them some lettuce from the store, and it is not working, can I put them on my rose bush? If not where can I? And we have frogs that eat them at night so that is also a problem! The caterpillers are saying " LET ME OUT OF THIS JAR!!!"




To hide these ads please register / sign in
Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden



glendann

Texas
Posts: 9228
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:54 pm   Post subject:


Gizmo the worms probably are not friendly if they stripped the bush next door .Just be thankful you don't have a bush like that .
I have Catalpa trees at my moms old place and those Catalpa worms take all the leaves and then there is no shade
fishermen love these worms but they are pests to me.It will probably make cacoons soon and make a butterfly of sorts .I wouldn't worry about them much as they will make it own their on.


_________________


'Life is not measured by the breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.'
Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden | My Blog



glendann

Texas
Posts: 9228
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:56 pm   Post subject:


Oh Gizmo was so instered in the worms I forgot to welcome you to Garden Stew glad to have you .We have lots of fun here.


_________________


'Life is not measured by the breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.'
Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden | My Blog



Gizmo
Port Saint Lucie Fl.
Posts: 542
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:03 pm   Post subject:


Thanks Glendann, but i still have 1 question, if i leave them in the jar with the lettuce from the store, will they die? And if that is not what to feed them then what is?

Th@nK Y0U
G!Zm0 Laughing

Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden



Pinkiered

Lawton, Ok
Posts: 900
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:10 pm   Post subject:


They will die if the bush you picked them off of is what they eat. I think its toni that was advising me on caterpillars and what plants they live on (not that I was interested! HAHA! jk)

What type of bush was it on? Do you know? Can you take a pic and post it? Maybe someone can tell what else they will eat.

Good luck on that and WELCOME!


_________________
I do not have a green thumb
My plants just have the will to live.
Back to top
Profile | PM | Website | My Garden | My Blog



glendann

Texas
Posts: 9228
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:10 pm   Post subject:


Did you put lots of holes in the lid.Are they eatting the lettuce .If so they will probably live but more than likely they will start makeing cacoons .I just am not much help I'm sorry .I only saw one jarred and it started make the cacoon a little while after it was captured and it came to be the most beautful butterfly.My son let it out then.


_________________


'Life is not measured by the breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.'
Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden | My Blog



Gizmo
Port Saint Lucie Fl.
Posts: 542
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:33 pm   Post subject:


thank you all for your help i will try and take a pic. and there r 6 in the jar with holes and from what I can see there not eating it just walking all around on them. also we dont know what the bush was it was a baby bush and they had nowhere eles to go.

Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden



toni


Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor

North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11244
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:00 pm   Post subject:


http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/america/index.htm

Gizmo,
Since you have seen the critter up close, check out this website and look thru their pages to see if you can identify it.

You might be able to find the answer to what they eat also, but I really do not think it is lettuce from the grocery store since that is not what they find in the wild. Almost every kind has a specific plant they feed on and some only on that one plant like the Monarch.

Toni

Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden | My Blog



Gizmo
Port Saint Lucie Fl.
Posts: 542
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:18 pm   Post subject:


Thank you for fixing the pic Eileen. I'm computor stupied. Confused My 15 year old daughter had to do it for me. My hubby would have taken to long. I did let them go. They have made a new home in the oak tree out front. I do have a rose bush , lemon bush pic with ?'s and they will have to wait Rolling Eyes for my hubby to show me how to send the pic's.

Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden



glendann

Texas
Posts: 9228
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:49 pm   Post subject:


Glad they have a home.Looks kinda like and Army worm .I do hope not.I really couldn't see if it has stripes and hairy .


_________________


'Life is not measured by the breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.'
Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden | My Blog



Gizmo
Port Saint Lucie Fl.
Posts: 542
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:55 pm   Post subject:


No hair, smooth, Yellow belly and black dots on top and sides. What is a Army worm sounds bad.


_________________
G!zMo
Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden



glendann

Texas
Posts: 9228
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:31 pm   Post subject:


They are really bad eats anything in sight .You don't have then for sure they are a forest green and have white stripes down the back .The hair on thim wave in the wind and there is so many it looks wierd.


_________________


'Life is not measured by the breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.'
Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden | My Blog



bethie

WestTennessee
Posts: 1570
Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 2:31 pm   Post subject: caterpillar id


This is an excellent site to id caterpillars.
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/ Cool

Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden | My Blog



Gizmo
Port Saint Lucie Fl.
Posts: 542
Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:17 am   Post subject:


Thanks for the site. Still haven't found it under caterpillers,moths,worms and other bugs. I'm not going to give up. G!zMo


_________________
G!zMo
Back to top
Profile | PM | My Garden

To hide these ads
please register / sign in


Hi visitor! Need to ask a question? Sign up for free today.



Ways to share this page (copy and paste codes):
Simple link:
Forums:
HTML:


You are in Forums > Gardening Other




     Sponsored Links