My bougainvillea looks terrible! The entire middle looks damaged. When I first noticed the caterpillar damage I treated the it with Sevin, but the damage continues. Should I just cut it down and start over? I cut it completely to the ground about three years ago so the painter could paint my house I would hate to have to do it again. It’s about 15 feet tall & wide.
I can't really see a lot of leaf damage. I see twigs. I have a 50 year old bougainvillea and it gets leafless twigs like that in winter but leafs out in spring. Or perhaps the new growth covers the dead branches. Bend some in half. If bends and not snaps, and you can see green inside, the branches are still alive and will leaf out again. If not prune just the dead wood out.
I bet you have bougainvillea loopers. Sevin would probably kill them but you need to do repeat applications. I use Bacillus thuringiensis with great success but it needs repeat applications. I love using Bacillus thuringiensis, BT, because it is not poisonous to me or anything else other than caterpillars.
http://www.nkolandscaping.com/blog/how-to-prevent-bougainvillea-looper-caterpillar-damage-on-kauai
Thanks for your reply. I will try the BT. You are right, the twigs do have new leaves budding. Here are some close-ups of the leaf damage that worries me.
I am not a cat expert but it does look like cat poo to me on those leaves. Go out at dusk and even in the night and see if can take a photo of your hungry diners in the act. Check on the backsides of the leaves. Just to figure out for sure what is doing the damage to find a definitive treatment for their demise.
That leaf damage is not fatal so I would not cut it down. You are interested in the blooms of your bougainvillea not the leaves so hopefully soon it will soon be covered in pink and you will not be able to see the eaten leaves.
