Looks are deceptive

@allknowing (136601)
India
October 20, 2023 7:21am CST
This moth as you can see is pretty but that and a few others are busy killing some of our precious plants not letting them grow and start flowering We have now decided to watch out for tiny caterpillars curled up in leaves and kill them. Killing is not something I like to do but we have no other alternative. The question now is should I have pretty moths or pretty flowers. The choice is for the latter What would be your choice?
7 people like this
6 responses
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
20 Oct 23
We have a new problem here with box tree moth caterpillars. They appeared in our garden for the first time this year and they devastate box plants. The good news is that birds seem to like the caterpillars!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136601)
• India
20 Oct 23
I have no idea what box plants are
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@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
20 Oct 23
@allknowing Box is a slow-growing evergreen bush or tree with small leaves. It is often used in the UK for topiary or for low hedges around flower beds and along paths and that sort of thing, and has been for centuries. But now many gardens have been devastated by these caterpillars.
https://www.hedgesonline.co.uk/evergreen-hedging/box-hedging.html
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@allknowing (136601)
• India
21 Oct 23
@Fleura Thanks for the link
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@writerjo (2540)
• India
20 Oct 23
@allknowing If I grow plants for my sake , and in my opinion, there is no other option than to destroy the moths eventhough they are pretty, that harm the plants & flowers .
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@allknowing (136601)
• India
20 Oct 23
I sometimes wonder why we are forced to make such a choice.
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@writerjo (2540)
• India
21 Oct 23
@allknowing This is what the nature's mystery.
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@RebeccasFarm (89870)
• Arvada, Colorado
20 Oct 23
How do you kill them? I would choose the flowers if that was my garden.
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@allknowing (136601)
• India
20 Oct 23
Normally the caterpillars stay curled in leaves You just crush the leaves.
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• Arvada, Colorado
20 Oct 23
@allknowing Oh I see
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@wolfgirl569 (106452)
• Marion, Ohio
20 Oct 23
I would kill the caterpillar
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@allknowing (136601)
• India
20 Oct 23
That's what I am forced to do too
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@dgobucks226 (35621)
21 Oct 23
I would first find out if there are any other types of plants, I could plant in the garden along with the ones you have that repel the moth. My try putting a netting over the plants. I saw online that mint is one plant which will keep moths away.
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@allknowing (136601)
• India
22 Oct 23
Good idea but we have a huge garden
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@Beestring (14564)
• Hong Kong
20 Oct 23
I would choose the plants and flowers.
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@allknowing (136601)
• India
20 Oct 23
Much as we would wan to save the moth we seem to have no alternative.
1 person likes this