Saddlebach Caterpillar
The Saddlebach Caterpillar is the ultimate pest for the garden. Not just alone to the damage that it does to your plants but the mental damage that it does to the gardener. After you get your first sting, you'll be looking over your shoulder to avoid being stung again.
I've been gardening down in South Florida for over twenty years and my firtts exposure to the Saddlebach Caterpillar was when I was dealing with an outbreak of Fire Ants. Talk about the sting of a Saddlenbach Caterpillar, the Fire Ant is right up there with the sting.
Several years ago, I was having a day to day problem with the Fire Ants when I was walking by my Areca palm tree and got stung with the Saddlebach Caterpillar. After I rubbed the area where I got stung and took the medicine for an allergic reaction, I went back to the area where I got stung and looked for the Saddlebach Caterpillar.
I was lucky in finding the entire family of Saddlebach Caterpillars. I found several babies and also the mother with numerous babies attached to her back. I carefully removed the Areca palm tree leaf and walked over to the Fire Ant mound. I placed the leaf with the Saddlebach Caterpillars on the mound and took a stick and disturbed the mound. In a few seconds, the entire mound was active with Fire Ants investigating the branch with the Saddlebach Caterpillars. The immediate problem was over and all I had to do was deal with the remaining Fire Ants.
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