Hi Gardners and insect people - I need some advice: we have had an exciting visitor to the garden - an Old World Swallowtail butterfly. I didn’t see it but we had a small number of caterpillars. We found them on the mass of fennel I have let grow outside our door. Sadly though: only one seems to have made it to chrysalis stage. Birds got the rest. I have now found one more on a different plant: about half size so far. So should I remove it and keep it somewhere away from the birds?
#gardening
@JimmyB@mas.to
The worst thing is not to notice that they emerged, trapping them in the cage.
Wasp predators also take plenty
@lionelb@expressional.social yes… I would worry about that for sure. Slightly amazing that any make it at all tbh
@JimmyB@mas.to
The trick is to have a row of brassicas eaten alive by Large White caterpillars, hoping that birds will find them more tasty.
@lionelb@expressional.social I’ve got it!!! Exactly that. I left the uneaten spring greens and the garden us full of cabbage whites! So simple a way to add butterflies - should have thought of it years ago
@JimmyB@mas.to
It is the cicada principle. So many emerge at once that predators can't possibly eat them all.
I suppose the weak point is if you attract vastly more birds than would have been there normally.
JimmyB (he/him)