i found tiny holes in my iris leaves yesterday.

hole with light shining through. ate the green part but left thin tissue behind. thin enough to see light.

more holes up and down leaf.

i inspected the leaf during daylight did not find anything. but as evening fell i found a 1 x 1/8" caterpillar. which i immediately squished... should have taken a pic. it was a black smooth skinned worm with a yellow stripe down the length of each side w/an orange head. after doing some research, this is the only creature i found, but it does not inhabit our area?

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp.... any other suggestions on species? especially to attack irises. how dare they. i've never had a catterpillar prob. before? anyone else? other than more spraying.... i just had the bug guy come to spray for ants and spiders.

and now my little pooch is acting a little strangely w/tummy issues. having a few accidents in the house which is Not like her. ( not so fun cleaning the meses on the carpeting. luckily having tat replaced on friday.). so i am reluctant to spray more chemical stuff for her to sniff....terriers are nosey. ( pun intended)

got the sawsall out to take care of the worms if needed! actually having some workers installing tile today in all the bathrooms and laundry.

this iris was one i just planted, too.

Here's a link to read: The "BT" should be available locally, in nurseries or garden centers, or, there are many on-line vendors . It won't bother your pooch...or you, but, any kind of caterpillar will be dead meat !

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheet...

thx arlyn i have used bacillus thurengenisis (sp?) before, but a lot of nurseries around here don't carry it because of it's short shelf life. but, i'll look online. maybe they'll have something premixed i can just shoot and squirt

i was lookin' for something as they say in hawaii as "ma- ke, die, dead". the first word is hawaiian for dead or die......i know it's redundant but its the same thing that is emphasized with gusto! want that caterpillar gone!