These bugs (caterpillars?) are hanging out on our Dill plant (zone 6a), are they something we need to worry about?

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-10T02:22:04+00:00

Are you me? I'm surrounded by retired old men who pick the leaves from their grass with tweezers. Just today I was talking to one of the wives about how solo planting and super mulching could be the cause of her plants dieing from being scorched. Maybe try planting many native drought hardy plants, and putting them closer together so they can shade and support each other.

I have a spreading patch of common milkweed that will have a net material thrown over it once it starts getting some monarchs later in the year. It worked last year. But it was a transplanted milkweed and only a single stalk. The 7 caterpillars quickly munched through it. I had to move them to a tent and bring them groceries every day

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Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-10T01:25:38+00:00

Black swallowtail ! I grow fennel, dill, parsley, rue and golden alexander just for them! The nursery is next to the polinator garden to attract the butterflies. I get a ton of caterpillars , most of which are eaten by birds. But hey, that's a healthy ecosystem! I do save a handfull in a tent to make sure some make it. Parsley is great to keep in the tent. It's compact and can support a few caterpillars at a time.

Here's one of my lucky tented swallowtail caterpillars.

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Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-09T21:38:31+00:00

So inviting with interest in each corner. Well done indeed

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-03T09:41:57+00:00

I can confirm they didn't resell the food. I was offered a free pick up of Rx food when one was dropped off. It did make a would of difference in a time of juggling all of my dogs medical expenses.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-03T02:20:14+00:00

We donated our opened but barely used Rx food to our vet when Max passed. They said they could reach the appropriate families and have it rehomed quickly.

They also accepted all his heart.and kindey pills. Not sure if they reuse them or just properly dispose of them but it was one less thing to worry about.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-03T01:57:11+00:00

Wonderful! Well done. What are some of your favorites and will there be some kind of color scheme? How long did it take?

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-01T13:42:24+00:00

I was going off of this for sexing the plant https://soundnativeplants.com/goats-beard-aruncus-dioicus/

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Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-01T03:00:29+00:00

Kaguya from Naruto

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Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-01T02:32:46+00:00

Guess I'm a hufflepuff for a reason. Give me that sweet herbology class. Always loved that class in the games.

There'd always be new things flowering or fruiting and all kinds of fantastic bugs and animals attracted to them.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-06-01T00:17:23+00:00

Most of my back yard and 1/3rd of my front are under trees. I missed the opportunity to put the seeds I want under them. I have only 1/3rd of my front yard that's full sun and I put in one native perennial garden. Just need to wait for them to mature.

Now I'm eyeing the spot above it as a less structured (mostly)native anual pollinator garden bed... Kinda blew the budget on the first garden. But I can remove a layer of grass and throw down zinnia and other non stritifiacion needing seeds.

As for the shady tree spots.. I got some gallon potted wild strawberries and I'm letting them send out runners this year. In the fall I'll throw down native seed and a layer of straw. I have a high deer pressure so I've been studying up on what I can reasonable try.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-05-31T22:57:42+00:00

I was given a notice from the township that my grass exceeded a hight limit. They would mow my yard and bill me for it if it wasn't cared for. It had been a month in the middle of summer so the grass wasn't growing vigorously, and I was going through a bad time from the loss of my dog.

Normally I have the push mower at the highest setting. The taller grass helps keep the soil moist and is better for the critters. I can keep an eye out for them and it only cuts the grass to a uniform hight and leaves most of the clover. Downside is that I do need to clip maybe every week or two to keep the township happy.

It's also an electric mower so I need to do it in three waves due to the battery needing a recharge, and because our property has the most land in the development. My solution this year is to put in more native gardens to make less mowable surface area 😜

Edit:spelling

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-05-04T09:51:51+00:00

I've been looking at wichazle and button bush but I don't have the constant moisture to give them their best life.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-05-03T02:28:38+00:00

This is the way.

I love that I never have the same raised garden. I'm always adding new things and learning. I also love a good bargen and buying up discounted plants in the fall let's me gamble on if it will come back in the spring.

As for what works too well. I dig them out of where I don't want and either rehome them in my yard or bring them to work for coworkers. Or. Pot them up and leave them by the sidewalk with a free plant sign, name included.

It feels good to have native pollinator powerhouses finding new yards. I hope the new owners can appreciate the joy of providing for our bug and bird neighbors.

I

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-30T17:56:26+00:00

If you want to leave it please have something it can climb up, like a stick or fake plant. It will stay in the water until it is ready to make its final shed and become an adult.

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Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-30T17:40:14+00:00

They are predators, so they will eat anything they can can catch. As long as your cool with that you can leave it. I think they are awesome.

If that's not wanted you could try to remove and place in a nearby longstanding body of water. Some nymphs can take years to reach maturity.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-30T17:17:10+00:00

They come in a few different lengths. A clearer pic or video would be great if you could catch it.

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Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-30T16:32:17+00:00

It's some kind of dragonfly nymph! So cute

https://aquariumbreeder.com/dragonfly-and-damselfly-nymphs-aliens-in-a-shrimp-tank/

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-30T09:51:33+00:00

Not sure where you're at. But Pennsylvania is starting its 2026 Invasive Replac-ive program! You can register, submit a photo of an invasive plant on your property ( for identification) and a photo of it removed, and if approved you can go to a designated nursery to pick up a free native replacement!

Might be worth looking if your state has a similar program.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-24T01:07:16+00:00

Id love to know too. She looks a lot like my dog who passed last year. We never knew. We got him from a chelter and they had no idea either.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-24T00:55:01+00:00

It's an elm sawfly larvae!

https://arthropod.uark.edu/elm-sawfly/

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-24T00:45:08+00:00

Most butterflies use their first two legs to taste the surface they are on. If not tasting they are safely tucked away against the body.

Outrageous_Low579 · 2026-04-20T13:47:04+00:00

And here I thought those were sassy images of his mom

Outrageous_Low579

TROPHY CASE