Camouflaged Caterpillar Culprit Caught!

But before we get to the main story, here's the regularly schedule weather report and garden status.

So it being consistently warm I am watering every other day. As I've said, if I had the right materials I would be mulching and watering much less. I put extra cups over the small zinnia babies overnight and removed all the covers this morning. The cucumber is showing signs of real leaves  now so it will be outgrowing the cup very soon.

The garden this morning (just after 11am) and the Giant Bird of Paradise.  I will never forget the one at an apartment complex that was that tall and I lived on the second floor near the stairwell where it was planted. We were eye level with the flowers with more plant above it.

Don't plant them near buildings. Bad idea... The flowers dripped sap on the walkway although it made it easier to prune flowers off. Not my plant, not my job.

 

 

All the others that were left uncovered survived the night but was concerned for the ones in the bed with the radishes that are getting munched.

I think it's pill bugs that are eating the radishes because there were at least two in the slug trap this morning. Poor things are getting ravaged.

 

And now for the big news, 'Camouflaged Caterpillar Culprit Caught!'

 

While watering today I shifted the tomatoes around, marveling and being very proud of myself at all the fruit, then noticed something... signs of munching on one of the smaller tomatoes ::cue dramatic music duhnduhnduhnnnn bongodrums::

First it was the tomato with definite chew holes so I picked it off then noticed a flower next to it had been plucked as well.... searching diligently, I found it! Remembering the position I had seen it the first time I looked at the curve of leaves and there it was. On the other side of the bush but not far from the damaged tomato.

It is a marvel of coloring and a beauty in itself, I didn't have the heart to outright kill it and there were no birds making sounds anywhere, too hot and late in the morning. I just took it on it's leaf and laid it in semi shade on top of the electrical box near the bird of paradise. It's far enough away that if it decides to take a walk it will encounter other leafy things to eat rather than my plants.

 

 It will likely be eaten or go the wrong way before it gets back to the garden. Or one of the other residents will see it and wonder why and how it got there. Thinking I should have hidden it because there are some well meaning but kind of daft people that might take it back to the garden.

So that's the big news for today, glad I got it because despite having more than enough tomatoes it would have been frustrating and disappointing to have it dig into a ripe tomatoe or ruin ones almost ready.