caterpillas on my bay tree !

[gingerneil]

I seem to have have infestation of caterpillas living in my bag tree. I have tried several treatments og Bug Attack (killed lots - the soil at the base of the tree had about 10 bodies in it the next day after the first treatment). However, there must still be the odd one living in there as new holes are still appearing in the leaves. I now have a fair amount of dead brown leaves, and I am worried that the tree might start to seriously suffer. One good thing is that there is new growth coming, but I dont want it eaten.

Any tips ? How do I finally get rid of the little critters ?!

[rustylady]

How big is the bay tree? It really does pay to go over your plants by hand, picking off any caterpillars or bugs and squashing them. I wouldn't want to use insecticide spray if I was going to use the plant for food. You will always get a few bugs who decide to eat your produce, the best thing is to keep a regular eye on crops and deal with any problems asap

[Vegmonkey]

I agree Rustylady...i actaully love my little wanders round the garden to find all the icky beasties to squish! I'd almost go as far as calling it a hobby!

[srodders]

How big the tree is will determine if it is worth bothering about them - If it is 2 foot high then you need to put in the effort to get rid of them, if it is 25 foot high then you can afford to not bother and leave them be.