We all have our memorable mistakes and last year was probably one of my most spectacular. Last summer, as I hurriedly attempted to get supper on the table I dashed out to gather some broccoli spears which were slightly past their prime. Little did I know the consequences of my actions until I was scooping steamed broccoli unto my daughter’s plate when I saw them, little steamed caterpillars which had previously been disguised as stalks. Yikes!
The event was so horrific my daughter swore off broccoli for the rest of the summer. Even my stomach was a bit queasy from the experience but being a frugal New Englander, my husband and I picked through the remaining broccoli to make sure there were no more caterpillars before consuming the broccoli.
Despite this cooking fiasco, I still find it distressing when I read in my gardening magazines and books to squash parsley worms, tomato hornworms and cabbage moths. Okay, the later which I found in my broccoli last year I won’t shed too many tears over. Besides, my ducks will consider them a delicacy but the others I think I am willing to find room in my yard and garden to share.
Nowadays, many gardeners have learned that parsley worms are actually the humble beginnings of the black swallowtail butterfly. Butterflies are the fairies of the garden. It pains me to hear that some people are using pesticides or squishing these caterpillars. Fortunately there has been a lot of education in this area in recent years and with the increased interest in butterfly gardens, gardeners now recognize these caterpillars for what they are.
However, I just put down a current magazine which advised gardeners to be on the look out for and squash tomato hornworms this coming month because they later turn into hawk moths which are also commonly known as sphinx moths or hummingbird moths.
I love these moths and have never considered these caterpillars a problem in my garden. I find it fascinating to watch their golden forms flit about the garden like miniature hummingbirds. Indeed on several occasions I’ve been asked what those tiny golden hummingbirds are in my or a friend’s garden. Their behavior is very similar to a hummingbird. They beat their wings so fast you can not see them, they hover as well as sip the nectar from flowers.
I’m not sure I could pick these, knowing what they turn into, and feed them to my ducks. I know I couldn’t squish them. I hate slugs, but I can't squish those either. Perhaps if my garden was being over come by them I would feel differently but they have not been a problem in the past. I will be watchful for these caterpillars by checking for their telltale signs of striped leaves and black droppings in the garden. I’ve also done some reading about natural predators and believe that these caterpillars may not have risen to the level of destructive nuisance in my garden due to the fact that I regularly purchase predatory wasps to keep down the flies in the barnyard.
This is a nice surprise. The wasps have been keeping the number of caterpillars down to a reasonable level; I do not see very much damage and it allows for a few caterpillars to mature to moths. It is a nice balance, one which could not have been achieved if I had opted to use synthetic pesticides to kill insects in my yard and garden.
If you are interested in identifying the caterpillars you find in your garden I highly recommend purchasing a guide to help you determine what sort of butterfly or moth they turn into. I picked one of these up at the local bookstore a few years ago and my daughter and I have had great fun trying to identify the caterpillars so we could learn what they later transform into.
And by all means, check your broccoli closely when you harvest it.
Happy Gardening.
-Susan
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