A: And you may also notice more songbirds hopping around in the yard, as many invertebrates are trying to escape the saturated soils. Meanwhile, many are just doing their thing this summer!

The featured photo here is of a bagworm chowing down on a small, potted juniper. From a distance, you may notice brown tips moving on various conifers. Aptly named, this soon-to-be moth, in its larval stage, builds a bag around itself and feeds on needles. Higher infestations can decimate a conifer in a matter of days!

If spotted at this stage, simply pull them off and destroy them. For more overwhelming populations, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) works at this stage when they’re young.

Above is a hammerhead worm (a.k.a. shovel-headed worm). According to the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture, “They are an invasive species that prey on earthworms.” If killing them, don’t cut them up, as the pieces will regenerate.

There are many, many caterpillars crawling around this time of year, and it’s advisable to not kill or harm any of them. If one is found munching on a desirable plant, like this cross-striped cabbageworm is, simply pluck them off. And don’t confuse this black, white, and yellow caterpillar with the monarch caterpillar, who sports the same colors!

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