Question
I have a very small, very fertile furry white worm on my hybiscus and it appears to be laying millions of eggs and the blooms are very sick.  In the beginning of summer, the plant was thriving and had sometimes 15-20 blooms a day.  They are now being destroyed by this little creature.  I have seen an orange and black elongated insect (not more than half and inch) on the plant, but that doesn't appear to be the problem.  Its the little white furry worm. It's actually a 5 foot tree and until now, has done quite well.

Please help.  It appears that it lays its eggs on the buds, therefore destroying them.

Susan
Houston, Tx

Answer
Susan, without seeing the worm, it is very difficult to identify it.  However, an effective control for all worms and caterpillars is a product called BT, short for Bacillus
Thuringiensis. It is more commonly sold under the brand names Dipel or MVP.

It is a dust that is non-toxic to humans and beneficials but highly effective against caterpillars and other worms.  You can purchase this product through on-line catalogs such as Gardens Alive, Planet Natural, or locally at many garden centers.

Attached are three websites that should prove helpful.

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/dipel-dust.html
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/market-farming/2002-May/007637.html
http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/btk.html

I hope this answered your question.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike