Another perspective on the oleander caterpillar

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

Geoff Newland, a recent transplant from Pompano Beach, Fla., to Bainbridge, Ga., wrote to share additional information about the oleander caterpillar, which was the topic of a recent column. As the owner of a pest-control business for 28 years, he gained a wealth of knowledge that he’s willing to share. Although most literature says the spines of the oleander caterpillar are harmless, the same literature says it feeds only on oleanders -- which we know is no longer true. It’s a cautionary tale for all us gardeners: There are exceptions to every rule, and things can change.

Here's Geoff's message: “As you know, oleander bushes thrive in great numbers in South Florida, and, in season, the oleander caterpillars are everywhere. A customer of mine and her husband were dealing with an infestation of these critters, and she put her bare arm around her husband’s shoulder, where an oleander caterpillar had found its way. She was severely poisoned and spent time in intensive care, and, at the end of it all sustained a permanent scar in the shape of the oleander caterpillar on her arm.

“The real danger from these highly toxic pests (they actually thrive on poison in the oleander bushes) is the two rows of spines on their backs. To touch those is to become really ill! In Florida, at least, gardening with gloves is a must.”

Other critters that can inflict pain, he said, are scorpions and puss moths, which look like slugs covered in hair and have kick like a mule.

One can easily spot the oleander moth cocoons around a home, Geoff said: they pupate under the roof eaves, door and window frames and are easy to spot, so you can sweep them down and bag them up for disposal.

Thanks, Geoff.

Q: My azaleas are looking a bit ragged and ratty, with some branches much longer than the others. Can I prune them now?

A: You can prune now -- if you don’t mind forgoing the spring display of blooms. Pruning now would mean cutting off the flower buds, which began forming in summer. The best time to prune azaleas is after they bloom in spring but before the Fourth of July.

That said, if a neat appearance now is more important to you than having an explosion of azalea color in March, go ahead and prune them. For adult plants, follow each leader branch back to its base, where it branches off another stem, and cut it there. You don’t want to shear an azalea like a boxwood or privet hedge.

For newly planted young azaleas, prune back at least one-third each year for the first two or three years to encourage it to grow bushy and full.

This goes for the Encore azaleas, too, which repeat bloom throughout the year. Pruning them in spring gives the plant a chance to grow more flower buds during peak growing season.