My water lillies look like something is taking huge bites from the pads! I don't have turtles. The first picture is of the leaf damage, and the second is what appears to be droppings on an undamaged leaf. Any ideas?
Marsha
What's eating my lillies??
Here is a photo of the droppings.
If that "dropping" is a piece of rolled lilly leaf with a caterpillar inside it, is the China mark moth.
Well....I guess it's time for a dropping dissection.
OOPS, the "dropping" turned out to be a small twig, but I'll keep my eye out for that moth. Thanks.
I have a horrible problem with china moths. They will eat my pads up. As long as I am pretty religious with spraying the surface with BT, then they stay under control.
I found the little beast and he is deceased! (sorry ). Thanks for the info, I'll try to be more dilligent in the future. Rylaff, sorry to sound so clueless, but what is BT?
Bacillus thuringiensis. A natural pesticide. It is actually a microbial and when ingested by worms and caterpillars, they die. Doesnt hurt anything else. I spray it on the surface of my pond in the evening (china moth caterpillars come out at night). It also works great on leafrollers (which desimate cannas). Those who wish to keep the leaves on their passifloras use it to keep the gulf frits from devouring the vines. Works great, doesnt hurt the plants or the fish or any other animals.
Hey, is this the China moth as a caterpillar?
Where do you purchase BT?
That is not a china moth but that could be what is chewing your lily pads. I buy BT at Walmart or Lowes as Thuricide HPC.