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Controlling Caterpillars on Datura with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Datura Pests: Hornworms and Sphinx Moth Larvae

Holes and poor blooms on datura in Sonoma are likely from tomato hornworms or sphinx moth caterpillars (datura is in the tomato family).

Safe Control

Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)—a bacterial insecticide specific to caterpillars. Harmless to humans, pets, beneficials. Spray foliage thoroughly; repeat after rain.

Bt stops feeding within hours; caterpillars die in days.

Perennials: Leaf Miner Infestation Spreading Across Balcony Herbs and Vegetables; Diagnosing and Treating Japanese Maple Decline; Sarracenia leucophylla Pest Damage: Thrips/Aphids and Insecticide Choice; Overwintering Datura and Brugmansia in Chicago; Admiring a Mature Brugmansia; Best Ground-Hugging Perennials for Sun: Sedums and Ice Plants Under 2 Inches; Pruning Unknown Clematis: Safe Strategy for 3-Year-Old Vines; What Is Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) and How Does It Control Caterpillars?; Tomato Leaf Problems: Overwatering, Nitrogen Excess, and Disease Diagnosis; Plecostomus in Outdoor Pond: Cold Tolerance and Plant Safety

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