How to Get Rid of Caterpillars

Start by working out which caterpillar you have and what it is eating, since the right fix depends on the species. Many lawn and garden caterpillars feed at dusk or after dark, so check plants and grass with a flashlight in the evening. Keep plants healthy with steady watering and the right mowing height, and let birds, lizards and beneficial insects do part of the work. When damage keeps spreading, or caterpillars turn up indoors and you cannot find the source, call Florida Bug Control at 1-855-624-2847 for a free inspection.

Practical Caterpillar Control, Indoors and Out

Before treating anything, decide whether you need to. Many caterpillars become butterflies gardeners want, such as monarchs on milkweed, zebra longwings on passionvine and swallowtails on citrus. A few chewed leaves are part of the deal.

In the garden and yard:

• Hand-pick caterpillars from small plants and drop them into soapy water. Wear gloves, since some Florida species sting.
• Prune off and bag heavily infested oleander tips, where oleander caterpillars bunch together.
• To check a lawn for sod webworms or armyworms, stir a little dish soap into a bucket of water, pour it over a square of grass at the edge of a damaged patch, and watch for caterpillars wriggling to the surface within a few minutes.

In the pantry: the “caterpillars” found in kitchens are usually pantry moth larvae. Toss any package with webbing, vacuum and wipe shelf corners, and move grains, nuts and pet food into hard containers with tight lids.

Common DIY mistakes: Spraying the whole yard, which also kills butterflies, bees and the parasitic wasps that keep caterpillars in check. Treating a brown lawn after the caterpillars have finished feeding and moved on to pupate. Spraying pantry shelves, which puts pesticide next to food without removing the source.

What a professional does: identifies the species, inspects the lawn, shrubs or pantry to find where they’re feeding, applies a targeted treatment only where it’s needed, and schedules a follow-up to catch the next generation. See caterpillar infestation for the signs to watch.