Obviously you would not be able to rely on the birds ridding your trees of
caterpillars, not if they are totally infested. There are 4 birds on the
list that Stewart sent that would do the trick here, I have seen myself the
Starling, Robin and crow, pick up caterpillars from the ground after I have
blown them from trees.
The BT method is a good one and very successful but my company and I use the
IPM method in most everything we do, I have been asked by 5 people what is
the IPM method? For everyone else I will post below.

Integrated pest management (IPM)

INTRODUCTION
There are more than one million insect species on this planet but less than
one percent of those are considered pests. The other 99 percent play a
crucial role in our food chain and many are indispensable. Flying insects
such as bees and butterflies pollinate fruits and vegetables. Burrowing
insects aerate soil and assist in the decomposition of organic material by
returning nutrients to the soil. Insects also serve an important role as a
food source for birds, fish, other animals and some plants. These facts seem
to be forgotten in our quest to attain a "perfect lawn" and a pest-free
home. Many people seem to think it is an "us against them" world in battling
insects. But remember, a perfect lawn and pest- free homes are not really
important in the big picture. What is important is preserving our health and
maintaining a balance with nature.

What is Common Sense Pest Control?
This Common Sense Pest Control program is an educational program designed to
help residents maintain a comfortable, healthy home, landscape, and garden
while reducing their reliance on pesticides.

Common Sense Pest Control is not a "no pesticides ever" program. It utilizes
integrated pest management techniques that emphasize physical, biological
and cultural pest controls, alternatives to pesticides and least toxic
pesticides. The use of pesticides is suggested as a last resort and only
when necessary.

The program will give you the information necessary to implement Integrated
Pest Management (IPM), a.k.a. Least Toxic Pest Management, in your home and
yard. IPM utilizes regular monitoring to determine if and when treatments
are needed. It employs physical, mechanical, cultural, biological and
educational tactics to keep pest numbers low enough to prevent damage and
annoyance through least toxic and economical methods of pest management. IPM
utilizes information on the pest and environmental conditions as well as the
best available pest management methods.

Unlike most commercial pesticide applications, IPM treatments are not made
on a schedule. Treatments are made only if monitoring indicates that pests
will cause an unacceptable amount of economic, medical or aesthetic damage.
Treatments are timed to be made when they will be most destructive to the
pest and least disruptive to natural pest control methods.


Martyn


Martyn Stewart
Bird and Animal Sounds Digitally Recorded at:
http://www.naturesound.org
N47.65543 W121.98428
Redmond. Washington. USA
Make every Garden a wildlife Habitat!

The Spring is cum
The grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is?

The birdies on the wing!
Nah, that's absoid
D' wing is on d' boid!
..........................