How to save the caterpillars AND my plants?

[GardenNinja]

I found quite a few caterpillars eating leaves off the strawberry plants on my balcony. They are about half an inch, black/greyish with a fuzzy coat. I don't want to kill them but would like to get rid of them. There isn't much vegetation near our flat except for some landscaping (some green shrubs and dormant trees scattered around the the blocks where we live). Are the caterpillars likely to survive if I put them in the shrubs? Will they destroy the shrubs if I do so? This is my first year with vegetable/container gardening and being so high up I never had to worry about any pests except aphids and leaf miners (I still can't bear killing the these either). Thanks for your help!

[rustylady]

If you move them they have two chances You are going to have to get tougher though, you aren't growing things to feed aphids and pests are you? I thought you were growing things for you to eat.

[GardenNinja]

rustylady, I should have mentioned that I don't kill any living thing because I'm Buddhist and the first precept is abstaining from taking life. There hasn't been any issues over the summer because the vegetables were strong and healthy with lots of foliage so the damage was hardly noticeable. I'm just wondering if there's another way to get rid of the caterpillars for now since the plants are weaker given the weather.

[veggiechicken]

I'm surprised that there are caterpillars around at this time of the year. If we have a spell of cold weather that may be too much for them. You may find that they feed on specific types of leaves and that moving them to another plant would not provide them with the right leaves. Difficult choice.

[weekendwellies]

If you can identify them then you can find out their preferred food plant and then try and find something in the vicinity that they can go to - there must be something nearby as the parents must have come from somewhere. take a look at this site and see if you can identify them. > UK Butterflies - all

[Nicos]

Are you able to post a piccie of the critters?
That way we can help you ID them- then suggest an alternative food source where they may be able to survive/feed upon elsewhere

[Nicos]

Ha!...similar minds eh weekendwellies???

[GardenNinja]

Thanks for the link weekendwellies. What a great idea!

Will take the pics later today, Nicos.

[rustylady]

rustylady, I should have mentioned that I don't kill any living thing because I'm Buddhist and the first precept is abstaining from taking life. I'm just wondering if there's another way to get rid of the caterpillars for now since the plants are weaker given the weather.

Sorry GardenNinja, I thought you were just being squeamish. One thing you could try is picking off the leaves, complete with caterpillars, and putting them in a jar with a breathable cover. They might then be able to complete their lifecycle without further harming your plants.

[Bren In Pots]

The best way is to hand pick them then carry them to the nearest park or waste ground to set them free.

[GardenNinja]

Managed to get some pictures before it got too dark. I can't seem to find the caterpillars (it had been a few days since I spotted them, when it was a lot milder). I did however, spot some cocoons (which wasn't there before) underneath the kale leaves. Luckily the variety of kale is Redbor which we don't like very much so I think I'll leave them to it. It was hard to take the pictures without tearing off the leaves, so I took one of a smaller cocoon. The one in the picture belongs to a very small green caterpillar.

Also, I spotted these bugs which I've been seeing on the strawberry leaves all summer. Any idea what they are?

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm going to keep an eye out for the caterpillars and will take them to a large park nearby if I see them again.

First picture is of the bug. Second one is the cocoon with an aphid on top

[legume]

The insect looks like a mealy bug or a scale insect to me: here's some RHS pics. Google Image Result for http://www.bnhs.co.uk/focuson/scales/images/Parthenolecanium%20corni%20a1.jpg

Mealybug / Royal Horticultural Society

As your pic shows a bit of the 'white stuff' around the insects, I'm leaning towards mealy bugs. If it is those, they will damage your crops (and they'll also multiply in spring and attack your other plants) so you'll need to have a think about how to get rid of them. Mealy bugs don't produce caterpillars or pupae though, so I think there are probably two species at work here.

I'd suggest that you remove all the leaves which have 'critters' on them (whether chrysalises, caterpillars or bugs), and take them to a nearby park. Tuck them in well under a thick sheltered hedge, and they should survive, especially if you pick just a few extra leaves to go with them for a food supply while they look for new homes. They *might* not make it as it is winter, but you will have given them a good fighting chance to relocate somewhere suitable. I think this should fit in with Buddhist principles?

It will not hurt your strawberry plants or kale to lose a few leaves at this time of year. The strawbs will grow back in spring, and the kale will go over anyway.

Looking forward, evidently insects have found your balcony patch so you'll need to prevent future attacks. The way to do that might be netting: enviromesh is fine enough to stop virtually all insects getting through and still lets light, air and water in. You could just drape it over the plants, tucking it in at the edges, to prevent the bugs getting access.

Hope this helps, and do let us know how you get on.

[GardenNinja]

Thanks for sharing the links and your advice, legume. I will be keeping a close eye on the the pests and take them away before it gets any worse. Hopefully I will be updating with good news this spring