Monday, June 6, 2016

TENT CATERPILLARS


Have any tent caterpillars affecting your plants? One of our colleagues treated some colonies with detergent and water which killed them effectively - especially with a little cooking oil mixed in. Malathion works too BUT is not good for bees at all, so not the first choice in products for this application.
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) is a certified organic pesticide derived from bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). It is both bee friendly and very effective when caterpillars are 1/2 inch to 1 inch long . It achieves this by freezing their intestines and starving them.
Fortunately for us, Haskap is their least preferred food and virtually indigestible to them as the leaves carry their own natural pesticide. That won't prevent them from eventually eating it but it is gratifying to know we are giving them a tummy ache.
J .   Here is one of these destructive creatures getting ready to cocoon up in a hazel leaf.

If you have your own unique ways of getting rid of destructive caterpillars, please let us know!


Sunday, June 5, 2016

Five things to know!

Five things to know about the Haskap berry!

https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/news/2016/May/515284a9230746ce9f5183c38c63a1a8.html