Caterpillar snack time! Help!

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ElizabethPetes San Diego, CA Oct 21, 2013

I just recently transplanted two tubs full of petunias; this morning, all the awesome most recent blooms might as well have been through a mini hole punch. I discarded all the damaged blooms, and not even two hours after dark tonight the culprit had ruined the remaining flowers!!! It took out about ten last night, and about 15 in the last few hours!

Upon serious investigation, I found several mini caterpillars eating their way happily through the blooms. Any suggestions regarding how to treat the plants would be extremely helpful!!! I am new to garden pests as nothing really bothered my plants in previous locations. I'd really love to not have my pots sabotaged by hungry critters!

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Oct 22, 2013

Bt will control this pest.
Bt is Bacillus thuringiensis. This is a bacteria that is specific to caterpillars. Read the label. There are a couple of types. One is for caterpillars. (Hint: there will be a picture of a caterpillar on the box).

Other control method: Hand picking.
Put a mesh over the plants so the female moth cannot lay eggs on them.

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drobarr Hummelstown, PA(Zone 6b) Oct 22, 2013

I have had good success with pyrethrins. My petunias get these same pests every year. I have had good luck also spraying Neem oil but the Bt will do the job as Diana suggests.

Pyrethrins, Neem or Bt are all organic methods and very safe to work with.

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trackinsand mid central, FL(Zone 9a) Oct 29, 2013

this is the Tobacco budworm, aka Geranium or Petunia budworm.
Bt is the ideal product to use because it specifically targets the culprit, unlike pyrethrins or neem (which also serve their purpose in certain situations) which will indiscriminately kill any and all insects, including bees.

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