Kat, I originally read your post as meaning YOU eat tortoises like candy...

I used to use one as my avatar. I'm a big fan once they enter their final metamorphosis.



Some relatives -
< Hummingbird Clear Wing Moth

pretty pretty pretty!

I had some of your DG images in the article I mentioned -- thank you!

I didn't know that (had already departed DG). Nice article. It'd be nice to see more gardeners re-shape their 'kill' attitude towards these creatures and employ alternative, nature-friendly methods to maintain their tomatoes' health (as so aptly discussed in your article).

jmorth said:I didn't know that (had already departed DG). Nice article. It'd be nice to see more gardeners re-shape their 'kill' attitude towards these creatures and employ alternative, nature-friendly methods to maintain their tomatoes' health (as so aptly discussed in your article).

And since reading Critters' article, even more!

Thanks for the link Critter!

Chuckl, sorry, i get short on time and chop words. Even when those moths are adults, they do tend to lay a bunch of eggs. Still love the hummingbird moths. Even those on the Fish Bait trees....

We get these guys in addition to the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and the tomato hornworm (M. quinquemaculatus)

http://www.butterfliesandmoths... rustica

I think the moths are pretty and I don't kill the caterpillars. Just plant a few extra plants for them.

jmorth said:I didn't know that (had already departed DG). Nice article. It'd be nice to see more gardeners re-shape their 'kill' attitude towards these creatures and employ alternative, nature-friendly methods to maintain their tomatoes' health (as so aptly discussed in your article).

I also agree! I love when there's a way to just live and let live (and still get my tomatoes, of course ).

If anyone has suggestions for how to relocate hornets from under my deck to out in the woods, please let me know...

Hi Sandy.

I doubt much of anyone would guarantee live relocation unless the hornets are under endangered species protection. I went through 3 google result pages and lots of folks offered removal, but no mention of relocation.

Yeah -- we've pretty much got that "removal" thing down... sure wish I could "train" them to build their nests where we can all live happily ever after!

I try very hard to avoid them as I am allergic, but they still manage to find me...

Mizshelli- I just saw your post for the first time. I have never seen the caterpillar of a hawk moth. Wow, I find it neat, only because it wasn't on my tomato plant.

My first question is, did you throw your phone at the caterpillar?

AlyssaBlue said:Mizshelli- I just saw your post for the first time. I have never seen the caterpillar of a hawk moth. Wow, I find it neat, only because it wasn't on my tomato plant.

My first question is, did you throw your phone at the caterpillar?

Lol! No. That happened in January. Dropped it on the deck. I used the phone for size comparison.

jmorth said:I didn't know that (had already departed DG). Nice article. It'd be nice to see more gardeners re-shape their 'kill' attitude towards these creatures and employ alternative, nature-friendly methods to maintain their tomatoes' health (as so aptly discussed in your article).

Well said J, I couldn't agree more! It seems wise to work with alongside with nature, since we are a part of nature. Striving for a give and take attitude
helps to keep human attitudes and actions in balance.

Peppermint oil sprays- wasps and hornets dont like. They dont apparently live long enough to get 'home' in their heads in anything but one spot in their lifetime, anoles are a natural predator, but if you have kids in the areas you dont want the groundhornets ANYWHERE close. The paper wasps nests get huge and dangerous enough to kill grown hogs, as well as small humans.

Interesting about the peppermint oil spray, Kat! We do have the ground hornets -- or wasps -- I've never stuck around long enough to completely ID them, LOL -- but we have a problem with hornets (bald-faced, as I recall) that make nests similar to paper wasps. Doesn't make much difference to me if they're technically a wasp or a hornet, they're welcome to live in the trees (of which we have plenty for them!) but not in my greenhouse or around the deck and doors of the house!

At one of our bee club meetings we learned how to make a trap to catch wasps/hornets, etc. I can't find the instructions we used but here is a link to a similar trap. What you attract will depend on the bait that you add to the trap.
http://macgyverisms.wonderhowt...

greene said:At one of our bee club meetings we learned how to make a trap to catch wasps/hornets, etc. I can't find the instructions we used but here is a link to a similar trap. What you attract will depend on the bait that you add to the trap.
http://macgyverisms.wonderhowt...

Well, I did read the entire article, but I have to admit they kind of lost me with this statement (since I AM an avid gardener): "If you're not an avid gardener and don't have a caterpillar infestation to kill off, then having a bee or wasp nest in your backyard is unnecessary."

LOL, if our hornets would stay in the "back yard" I'd be perfectly happy... and then there are our humble little ground bees and bumblebees -- I'd feel terrible if they got killed off by a trap that I put out.

Guess I'll keep dealing with the nests that are too close for comfort with the "Black Flag" spray...
(although I can certainly see trying a "peppermint spray" in the GH in particular.)

2c water with 30 drops peppermint essential oil, mix, and put in a sprayer bottle. Can add liquad soap to make it stay stuck, but lots of bugs dont like the peppermint- I think it chases skeeters away too. Without the soap, it doesnt kill,