Hi
I live in a small village in Soria, Northern Spain and recently inherited an old allotment/orchard with some old apple and pear trees (est 50 years old). I noticed last year that catapillars had been eating the leaves and they are doing the same this year. I dont want to spray chemicals on them and dont even know if I want to remove them. My question is: will they effect the fruits growth? If so what is the best non chemical way to remove them, if I must.
try using a Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt) or dusting with Diatomaceous earth according to directions. Organics and neither will affect your fruit, although the Bt is oft used in making some GM crops.
Depending on the strain, Bt is not necessarily organic. Several of the Bt strains have themselves been genetically modified to work on specific pests. If your caterpillars are of the tent variety, you can do what we do. Wait until dusk when the caterpillars have all returned to the tent, then cut off the branch containing the tent, complete with its caterpillars and burn it.
Ross.
Yes, but we are talking "Cats" here? do you know of a strain of "cat" BT that is not organic?
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