[mlocke]

I am in Napier. My current 4 swan plants have had eggs laid on them but the eggs disappear. I suspect the wasps (long skinny ones) are eating the eggs. Normally at this time I have dozens of caterpillars. But so far I have only seen 3 new borns, who also disappeared. Are wasps eating these? Are others finding this season problematical?

I have about 6 other plants currently growing up. These are my replacement stock for when current 3 plants are eaten out (stock plants are protected from egg layers until they get bigger). Sadly this looks like the one time my replacement stock will not be necessary.

I would like some help, please, or even to know if this is happening elsewhere?
Thanks, Maureen

[Timewizard]

Last year i had hundreds of cats but about 80% were taken by wasps until i found all the wasp nests hiding up under the concrete tiles by the spouting right around the house – this year wasp numbers are much lower than they were last year but i haven’t seen any butterflies at all.

[mlocke]

Forgot to mention…4 of my plants had been under net. I have exposed them in the hope eggs would be layed and I could then cover them again. So far no eggs/caterpillars seen.-Maureen

[mlocke]

Thanks Jaqui,
I had not thought of that. I will try water moats.
I have seen a few butterflies, and even watched them lay eggs. But the eggs just disappear…of course not while I am watching.
But I will try the new defence suggested.
Thanks, Maureen (Mlocke)

[Jacqui]

Don’t give up, MLocke. If you have the plants in pots… try standing them in a tray of water, so that the water forms a moat. Have you seen monarchs flying around?

Cover the plants with a fine net and see how that goes. Give it two weeks…

[mlocke]

Thank you to all answering my (maybe) wasps problem. Unfortunately, now with 7 plants available, I have no caterpillars or any sign of eggs. Whatever the problem is I think this will be a Monarch-less summer for me.

[Liz.]

Hi, Ants certainly take eggs and I’ve seen them even eat hanging J’s and crystalysis. They can bite them and a bead forms and next thing they’re sucked dry. As soon as they hatch they will be taken by wasps and probably spiders. I’ve seen preying mantis of course and vegetable shield bugs slurping them. Unless the plant is hidden there is often not much chance of anything surviving outside not covered unfortunately. I have about half? my really big cats survive to eclose if I put them outside. Liz

[LeslieD]

Spiders eat eggs and small caterpillars (I believe). I have some lovely big plants in my top garden that nothing survived on last year (eggs or anything hat did hatch) . Big caterpillars I put on from elsewhere did well though. When I went looking I found smallish yellow spiders hiding on the plants, they would jump off when I found them.

[mlocke]

Thanks Jacqui, there are no ants visible, but I will put anti-ANT product at the base of the plants as a precaution. Do you think wasps are unlikely to eat eggs? There are always 1 or 2 wasps around the plants. The plants do also have a lot of aphids already, which is early for me.

[Jacqui]

It could be ants taking them… are there ants running up and down the stems?

[Author]

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