Wooly bear caterpillars!!!!

[jpyerry]

Today, I checked my plants. My relatively new Phal. stuartiana 'Sogo' had what looked like a bite taken out of one the leaves. So, I checked around the plant looking for the leaf, I thought I maybe tore the leaf when I put it back after watering, and nothing. Then after doing more investigation, I found a large completely black wooly bear caterpillar on the floor of my grow tent. I think he is responsible for taking the nearly 2"x2" chunk out of my plant. No idea how he got into the tent, but I put him in a cup full of water and he is now dead. Good God, I hated bugs before I got into plants, I hate them even more now.

[teh_Kibbster]

Shame to hear he's dead. These guys are awesome and harmless so long as you're not a plant. Too bad you didn't just relocate him outside the tent... Next time?

[psyc1210]

That's really sad, you could have let it go somewhere else. Also, no Woolly Bear caterpillars are ALL black. It was most likely a Great Leopard moth caterpillar.

[jpyerry]

Yeah, I do feel bad about it now, but I was really angry when I discovered him and the damage. I should have let him go outside, next time I will be a little more tempered in my response. I just felt angry because he ate one of my newest plants, of course it would have been much more devastating if he decided to munch on any of the seedlings or miniatures (there would be nothing left). Thinking about it though, if he were a different bug, like say a colony of spider mites or scale or thrips, nobody would be upset if I hadn't rounded them up and released them outdoors. Nevertheless, I still regret my decision to kill him.

[NiNiDazzle]

Don't worry about it, jpyerry. I would have killed the sucker ASAP. Or rather, I would have gotten hubby to do it. They all give me the willies.

[psyc1210]

Originally Posted by jpyerry

Yeah, I do feel bad about it now, but I was really angry when I discovered him and the damage. I should have let him go outside, next time I will be a little more tempered in my response. I just felt angry because he ate one of my newest plants, of course it would have been much more devastating if he decided to munch on any of the seedlings or miniatures (there would be nothing left). Thinking about it though, if he were a different bug, like say a colony of spider mites or scale or thrips, nobody would be upset if I hadn't rounded them up and released them outdoors. Nevertheless, I still regret my decision to kill him.

Right, no one cares or likes spide mites or scale or thrips, but a Woolly Bear, many people have soft spots for. Plus they turn into cute little moths.

[orchidaddict789]

I think I'm the only one in the family who likes caterpillars and kept them as a pet when I was a kid. They probably think I'm a little "strange" because I know for a fact that if they see one, they'll pick it up with a paper towel, crush it, and throw it in the trash can. However, I've never had a caterpillar chew an orchid before, so I would've been a bit angry too.

[NiNiDazzle]

Originally Posted by orchidaddict789

I think I'm the only one in the family who likes caterpillars and kept them as a pet when I was a kid. They probably think I'm a little "strange" because I know for a fact that if they see one, they'll pick it up with a paper towel, crush it, and throw it in the trash can. However, I've never had a caterpillar chew an orchid before, so I would've been a bit angry too.

I don't know about the crushing part, but whenever I have to get rid of a pest, I will put on plastic gloves, get a lot of toilet paper, pick it up and flush it down the toilet.

[teh_Kibbster]

I also move spiders at every opportunity.