What kind of caterpillar is this?

[CrazyConure]

I'm with chuck on this one. I completely agree with him. I do apologize for the misconception, but for tomato plants: if you are looking for a yield on them, caterpillars will not benefit it. That is my opinion based on my personal experience. If you have a few caterpillars that are munching on a gigantic plant, that may be fine. But when you have a plant as small as OP with a 'pillar as large as OP, you are really risking it.

I don't like to sugarcoat things. I say it the way that it needs to be said. If you don't like it, that's fine.

 

[Beverly]

Then you don't understand at all. CC's response to the OP was All caterpillars are bad. They will eat your plants. Remove and spray with bt.

CC is not an authority on the subject, he has very little experience. To make this statement correct all he would have to say was "I am of the opinion that all caterpillars are bad. They will eat your plants. Remove and spray with bt." This is the only problem i have. In the first sentence no one can guess that he does not mean what he says, least of all the OP and why would he say it if that is not what he means? A person can lose (has lost) a lot of credibility that way.

@Chuck i will look for the French study reference regarding the effect of bt on bird reproduction. It has been a year or so ago, so it is not fresh in my memory but i expect it will be an easy find.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I don't like to sugarcoat things. I say it the way that it needs to be said. If you don't like it, that's fine.

If that is the way you are, that is fine. but then remember the response may be something you don't like. So if you are aware of that, then you have to toughen up.

 

[CrazyConure]

This is the only problem i have.

Please try to remember that it was an innocent mistake. It feels like we are just going back and forth at this point. Let's just try to help the OP with his caterpillar issue, since we are WAYYY off topic here.

 

[Chuck]

Then you don't understand at all. CC's response to the OP was All caterpillars are bad. They will eat your plants. Remove and spray with bt.

CC is not an authority on the subject, he has very little experience. To make this statement correct all he would have to say was "I am of the opinion that all caterpillars are bad. They will eat your plants. Remove and spray with bt." This is the only problem i have. In the first sentence no one can guess that he does not mean what he says, least of all the OP and why would he say it if that is not what he means? A person can lose (has lost) a lot of credibility that way.

@Chuck i will look for the French study reference regarding the effect of bt on bird reproduction. It has been a year or so ago, so it is not fresh in my memory but i expect it will be an easy find.

I found what you are talking about. It is a study on why house martins are decreasing in population. The conclusion to the study was that Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) had an adverse affect on reproduction. Bti is not Bt. Bti is what is used in Mosquito Dunks. It is what replaced DDT and is the main mosquito control in the US, Europe and Africa. After eaten by the mosquito larvae it does not degrade like Bt does in sunlight but stays in the gut of the larvae and in some circumstances has an adverse reaction to the martins. The conclusion to the study was that Bti did have an adverse reaction in some birds but that Bti is still the best thing for mosquito control.http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100615/full/news.2010.296.html

 

[Esther Knapicius]

conclusion to the study was that Bti did have an adverse reaction in some birds but that Bti is still the best thing for mosquito contro

I prefer my lovely bats to take care of my mosquitos . they do a great job over here.

 

[Becky]

@CrazyConure don't take it personally if/when people disagree with you - if well all presented the same opinions then we would never learn anything new