Establishing a garden to attract certain caterpillars and adult butterflies is also going to invite other insects that may not be so welcome. In the natural world there are no “good” bugs or “bad” bugs. What we may occasionally consider obnoxious insects have their place and function in nature the same as the insects we admire or think lovely—it is simply a matter of the way we are “seeing” things at the moment. In the following discussion, while I speak of the bad guys and show methods of removing them in order to better establish a garden for a particular insect, in this case the butterfly, in no way am I passing judgment on any living thing. Personally I can, and do, appreciate the fortitude, mystery, and beauty of an aphid (family Aphididae) or Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) as much as the most gorgeous of butterflies.

Clearly, however, there are times in butterfly gardening when some species of insect becomes so numerous or damaging that it is detrimental to your purpose, and some sort of action needs to be taken. If the usual methods of wide-scale eradication were applied, it is quite likely the butterfly larvae would also be eliminated in the process. To keep the garden balanced in favor of the desired creatures, certain garden practices and a system of organic pest control may be needed.

The best defense against any kind of pest insect or disease is to have the healthiest plants possible. Bugs first go for weak, malnourished plants. If the plants in your garden are provided with a well-balanced diet through compost-rich soils, adequate moisture, and the sunshine needed for strong growth, they will be less stressed and therefore less susceptible to harmful attack.

A pest outbreak is often triggered by the use of a potent, quick-release fertilizer or one of the miracle growth sprays that initiates tender, succulent plant growth. Plants are far less likely to be bothered if they are allowed to maintain a natural, steady growth pace by the use of manure or compost in the soil and slowly deteriorating mulches.

HEALTHY PLANTS ARE THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST PESTS. THESE LANTANA (Lantana spp.) BENEFIT FROM GOOD AIR CIRCULATION AND AN EFFECTIVE MULCH.

Plants being grown out of their natural ranges or habitats may have a hard time adjusting and may be wide open to all kinds of insect attack. Plants that continually attract insect invasion should be promptly removed and replaced with tougher, more hardy species.

Give plants in the flower beds plenty of room to breathe. Good air circulation helps prevent many fungus diseases, such as mildew, crown rot, and black spot. Keep the garden clean by immediately removing severely infected plants, either by burning them or by burying them deeply in a new flower bed in the making.

Many and various bacteria can be found in good, rich compost, along with the molds and fungi that live in the soil. Both are providing various antibiotics to plants for fighting diseases, so use lots of compost in the beds. If some action must be taken, treat only the plants showing actual damage, and apply treatment only to the areas affected.

There are many alternatives to indiscriminate use of chemicals. For the health and safety of the butterflies and their larvae, apply a system using only natural controls, integrating physical controls, biological controls, and controls through the use of plants themselves.

COMPANION PLANTS

Some plants apparently thrive and are at their healthiest when placed in close proximity to certain other plants. The various benefits of such companion planting are not easy to explain. Perhaps it is due to certain nutrients being brought from a lower depth by one plant and thus made available to a more shallow-rooted plant. Perhaps it is shade provided to the roots of one plant by another during a critical growth period, or maybe one plant benefits from a certain combination of room and light allowed by certain other plants. Or perhaps it is simply that plants like to be near their friends.

No exact, scientific explanation has been offered for the generally healthier effects obtained from such planting, but it does seem to work. Not only do plants appear to be larger and produce more flowers and fruit when placed in combination with certain other species but they are noticeably less stressed when placed in small groups of their own kind, instead of being separated with one here and one there. It is not difficult to see the difference between the health of a solitary plant lost in the maze of a garden border and that of several plants of the same species placed in groups.

An example of the interactions of such plantings is within members of the Fabaceae or Bean Family, such as Groundnut (Apios americana), White Clover (Trifolium repens), or bluebonnets (Lupinus spp.) and any of the peas (Pisum spp.) and beans (Phaseolus spp.). Leguminous plants form a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria in the soil that live in small nodules formed along the roots. These nodules produce nitrogen and other beneficial substances that are released into the soil and used by nearby plants, creating healthier growing conditions.

The benefit of companion planting will be most noticeable when using predominantly native species in the landscape. Most cultivated species have been manipulated to adapt to various soils and environments, but the natives do best in as close to original growing conditions as possible, that is, with others of like kind or certain associated species.

Along with planting natives in groups of the same species, it is equally important to plant them near their natural neighbors. To learn this association, pay special attention when driving the countryside or hiking. Notice which plants are more commonly found in close association to the plants you have or are planning for your garden. These associate plants may not be known for producing abundant nectar, but if there is space in your garden, and if the plant is not too offensive, plant a couple close to the prized nectar plant.

Probably as important as providing the associate plants is making sure the soil in the garden beds is the same as or as close to those of the native habitat as possible. Since plants obtain their liquid food from the nutrients released from the soil, the correct “diet” of dirt is extremely important.

REPELLENT PLANTS

Although the reason behind the obvious benefits of placing certain companion plants in close proximity to others may remain a mystery for the time being, there is another planting combination that is more easily understood. Repellent planting uses certain plants that, either by odor or the release of chemicals through their roots, ward off attack by certain insects. Scattering these plants among the butterfly-attracting plants helps keep undesired insects away.

Some members of the Lily Family (Liliaceae) are among the most useful repellent plants, with Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) and garlic (Allium sativum) being especially potent deterrents. Many members of the genus Allium, or onions, both wild and cultivated, keep nearby plants free of insect pests, and the very attractive large, showy clusters of flowers are a great nectar source, drawing in numerous butterflies. As an added bonus for the garden, all of the alliums can be eaten, except perhaps some of the ornamental ones.

The foliage of Four-o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa), as well as milkweed (Asclepias spp.), rue (Ruta spp.), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), dill (Anethum graveolens), common fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), and anise (Pimpinella anisum), is poisonous to many insects. When these plants are used among other plants, most insects tend to leave the nonpoisonous plants alone as well. Larvae of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Queen (D. gilippus thersippus), and Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) have evolved methods for ingesting, storing, and using certain plant poisons, but fortunately most of the harmful insects have not. Other plants with foliage toxic to certain insects include Common Flax (Linum usitatissimum), Wormwood (either Artemisia absinthium or A. stelleriana), and Borage (Borage officinalis), petunias (Petunia spp.), larkspurs (Delphinium spp.), and geraniums (Pelargonium spp.), especially white-flowered ones.

Many insects are repelled by the pungent odor of Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). On the other hand, Nasturtium attracts almost all species of aphids. This can be good if the plants are placed where they can act as a trap crop for the aphids, keeping the insects away from other plants as well as making them easier to destroy.

Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium) is a plant known and used since early times for insect control. Insects in general do not like its pungent foliage and avoid it. Nettles (Urtica spp. and Tragia spp.), important larval food plants for the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta rubria), are also valuable both as companion plants and as repellent plants. Nettles greatly increase the potency of herbs while repelling several plant invaders. Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) controls ants, which move aphids from one plant to another, and marigolds (Tagetes spp.) help control nematodes (phylum Nematoda) in the soil. The tall, small-flowered Mexican Mint-marigold (T. lucida) evidently exudes a repellent from the root system in greater potency than other marigold species.

As far as I know, no in-depth research has been done on mixing repellent plants into a concentrated planting of butterfly plants. Most of the repelling qualities of these plants come from the odors emitted through their foliage, especially when the foliage is crushed, and these odors may either make it hard or impossible for butterflies to find the nectar plants or make the general area so disagreeable the butterflies will not stay around. When using repellent plants, constantly observe the actions of the butterflies in the garden. If you suspect the repellent plants are doing more harm than good, remove them or move them to an area where they are not often disturbed.

THE FOLIAGE OF PETUNIAS (Petunia spp.) IS TOXIC TO SOME INSECTS.

PHYSICAL CONTROLS

For some of the larger insects, hand removal may be the simplest and safest method. Fill a can or jar with a mixture of water topped with kerosene, and drop the insects into the liquid as you remove them from the plants. Grasshoppers (order Orthoptera) are easily picked from plants at night. To capture sow bugs and pill bugs (family Asellidae), moisten the ground and lay a board on the moist area. In early mornings and late evenings, lift the board and dispose of the clusters of bugs that have gathered.

Slugs and snails (class Mollusca) are reportedly attracted to saucers of stale beer. If this does not work, use a straw or pine needle mulch around the plants. These soft-bodied mollusks do not care much for the rough texture of the mulch, finding it difficult to move across. Blood meal and bonemeal sprinkled on top of the soil (or mulch) is also a deterrent to slugs and snails as well as pill bugs, sow bugs, ants (family Formicidae), aphids, deer (Odocoileus spp.), rabbits (order Lagomorpha), and household cats (Felis catus). Wood ashes from the fireplace sprinkled thickly around plants act as a great deterrent to many pests. Other irritants to be strewn around plants include crushed dried hot peppers, finely crushed eggshells, camphor, powdered charcoal, builder’s sand, and cedar shavings.

An Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum) sliced in half and buried about two inches beneath the soil’s surface is a simple but effective trap for wireworms (larvae of click beetles [family Elateridae]). After a couple of days, lift the potatoes and destroy the worms.

Traps made from plastic jugs containing sugar water flavored with vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), lemon (Citrus limon), anise, or common fennel will attract many flying and jumping insects. Place these jugs near the infested plants. To trap grasshoppers, half fill a wide-mouthed jar with this mixture and bury the jar to the rim in the ground. Other trap baits to try are a crushed banana peel, a cup each of sugar and vinegar, and enough water to almost fill a gallon jug. A brew of mashed fruit, one or two cups of sugar, and some yeast for fermentation is especially attractive to Japanese beetles. Fill narrow-mouthed jugs no more than half full with these mixtures. Smaller insects crawl down into the jugs to get at the bait and drown, but butterflies usually do not enter.

There are several creatures generally considered helpful in most gardens that are definitely not desired in a butterfly garden. Most of these are avid predators on eggs or larvae, including those of moths and butterflies. Some predators that should not be encouraged to remain in a butterfly garden include most of the parasitic wasps (family Braconidae), ichneumons (family Ichneumonidae), trichogrammatids (family Trichogrammatidae), along with assassin bugs (family Reduviidae), stink bugs (family Pentatomidae), robber flies (family Asilidae), praying mantises (family Mantidae), and spiders (order Araneae).

Praying mantises are one of the most familiar insects sold as a biological pest control and for a general garden are highly recommended instead of pesticides. But they have no place in a butterfly garden. Praying mantises are one of the worst enemies of butterflies, hiding among the foliage and seizing the insect as it approaches the flower to nectar.

The little anoles (Anolis carolinensis), sometimes referred to as chameleons since they can quickly change their coloring to match the surrounding environment, readily prey on both butterfly larvae and adults, consuming all they find, except perhaps the Monarch and Queen.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROLS

Along with some of the “bad” insects, there are others that are especially beneficial to a butterfly garden, and their presence should be both protected and encouraged. Just as some viruses, bacteria, and fungi help keep plants healthy, many insects, during one or more stages of their life, attack and devour other insects that are damaging the plants. One of the most beneficial is a small beetle variously known as ladybug, lady beetle, ladybird, or aphid wolf (family Coccinellidae). Ladybug eggs, a bright yellow or orange, are attached in small clusters to plant leaves or stems, behind tree bark, or among debris scattered on the ground. The larvae are flat, warty, and somewhat carrot-shaped, their grayish-black coloring spotted with blue and orange. Both the larvae and the adults eat aphids, leafhoppers (family Cicadellidae), mealybugs (families Pseudococcidae and Eriococcidae), and scale insects (superfamily Coccidae). Each larva can devour up to four hundred aphids, and one adult ladybug may consume five thousand or more. Unfortunately, they just as readily consume the eggs of butterflies.

A CRAB SPIDER (FAMILY THOMISIDAE) ATTACKS A CERAUNUS BLUE (Hemiargus ceraunus astenidas).

THE PRAYING MANTIS (FAMILY MANTIDAE) IS ONE OF THE BUTTERFLY’S WORST ENEMIES.

Green lacewings (family Chrysopidae) are beautiful, delicate, fairylike insects with clear, gauzy green wings and red eyes. Both larvae and adults suck the body fluids from aphids, mealybugs, common thrips (family Thripidae), spider mites (Tetranychus spp.), and cottony-cushion scales. They actually do a better job than ladybugs of keeping aphids under control. Ladybugs and lacewings can be purchased from some nurseries (see appendix). When ordering, be sure to purchase the ladybugs that are already conditioned to eat aphids.

Larvae of the firefly or lightning bug (family Lampyridae) are long, flat, and wormlike. They live on the ground under bark and in moist places and are voracious nighttime predators, feeding especially on slugs, snails, and cutworms (larvae of the noctuid moths—family Noctuidae).

LADYBUGS (FAMILY COCCINELLIDAE) ARE BENEFICIAL INSECTS THAT DEVOUR MANY COMMON GARDEN PESTS.

And keep a toad (family Bufonidae) handy. Or two or three. A single toad can consume up to three thousand insects in a month, especially ants, sow bugs, and pill bugs. Having rather broad tastes, they also eat grasshoppers, cutworms, beetles, snails, and slugs.

NATURAL INSECTICIDAL CONTROLS

Because some plants have a natural repellent quality while growing, others (or sometimes the same ones) can be very effective when used as a spray, dust, or mulch. Some of these plants are not especially attractive, so they can be grown in out-of-the-way spots and gathered when needed.

The best preventive for garden problems is to keep a close watch on the plants and catch the insects or diseases before they really get established. If this is done, often only a light spraying of a small portion of the plant will be required. If the infected plant is a nectar plant, hand-spray with a small bottle sprayer in such a manner as to keep the spray away from the flowers, thereby not disturbing the nectar source of the butterflies. If the foliage of a larval food plant is being damaged, use the spray sparingly and only where no caterpillars are feeding.

For many of the following concoctions, using a blender is suggested, but do not use the household blender. If an old, no-longer-used machine is not available, simply mash the material until it is as mushy as possible. Chopped plant material can also be left to steep in warm water for several hours or placed in a jug and left in the sun for a couple of days. The liquid strained off is usually potent enough for use. Wear rubber gloves when chopping or blending the plants and also when spraying. Use a small plastic sprayer bottle or a small commercial hand sprayer in order to confine the spray to exactly where it is needed. Two or three such sprayings with a weak solution are much more desirable in butterfly gardening than one extra-strong dose, which may be lethal to everything that touches it for weeks.

Keep in mind that even though these insecticides are concocted from plants, they are very potent and should never be used indiscriminately. Use much caution, and apply them only to the pest-infected portions of the plants. Leave insecticides on plants only long enough to kill the pests; then thoroughly wash the plants with a soft dousing from the water hose.

BUTTERFLY WEED (Asclepias tuberosa) IS NOTORIOUS FOR ATTRACTING APHIDS.

• An excellent spray for spider mites can be prepared by chopping the leaves, stems, and spent flowers of the Flowering Tobaccos (Nicotiana spp.) in a blender with enough water to make a liquid. Strain and add enough water for a spray.

• An even better spray can be made by obtaining the strongest chewing tobacco on the market, combining one-half cup of the tobacco with three cups of water, and simmering (not boiling) on very low heat for twenty or thirty minutes. Remove from heat, and leave the tobacco soaking in the same water for a couple of days. When ready to apply, dilute with a little more water and then strain through a nylon stocking before using in a sprayer. Try burying unused chewing tobacco around plants to help control underground pests such as June bug (family Scarabaeidae) larvae, wireworms, nematodes, or cutworms.

• A tea of chopped Heart-leaf Stinging-nettle (Urtica chamaedryoides) makes a good spray for aphids. Use gloves and wear a long-sleeved shirt when gathering the nettle. Some people are highly allergic to the sting of this plant, which can cause large blisters on the skin. After the nettle has been gathered, chop in a blender. Remove to a glass jar or jug, completely cover the chopped nettle with water, cover the container tightly, and leave standing for several days or until the plant parts are well softened. When ready to use, strain and mix one part of the tea to seven parts water.

• The leaves of Common Elderberry (Sambucus nigra var. canadensis) contain oxalic acid from which a tea can be made to deter aphids.

• A mixture of one-half cup of soft soap such as Ivory liquid (read the label carefully—nonsoap detergents will not work) thoroughly mixed with two quarts of water is an excellent control for aphids. Soap is very strong; use a couple of mild applications instead of one strong one to lessen the risk of burning the plants. A potassium-based insecticidal soap can be obtained at most plant nurseries. This special mixture smothers its victims and is much less damaging to plants than household soaps. Remove any soap mixture from the plants with a gentle washing from the hose after the infestation is over, especially if used on Asclepias (notorious for attracting aphids). The Monarch and the Queen are constantly going to be needing the plants for egg laying. If there are eggs or larvae already on the plants, aphids can be kept under partial control by running your fingers along the stems and on the undersides of the leaves, crushing the soft-bodied insects. This must be done almost daily and will not completely eliminate the aphid colony but does keep them controlled until the butterfly larvae have all pupated. Then the plants should be thoroughly doused with the soap-and-water mixture to completely eliminate the entire aphid population.

• Nasturtiums in the border are the larval food for the Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) and Great Southern White (Ascia monuste) and a trap for aphids. When Nasturtium is ground in a blender in combination with Wormwood, Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis), and Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), along with enough water to make a spray, it is very effective in the control of white flies (family Aleyrodidae) and aphids.

• Brew the chopped stems and leaves of Wormwood into a tea, and sprinkle the mixture on the ground and on young plants. The bitter taste repels slugs and snails.

• Also, use Wormwood tea in combination with the water from soaked Quassia (Picrasma excelsa) chips for an especially potent control. Quassia chips may be purchased at the drugstore or nurseries that carry natural control products. To make the spray, soak four ounces of chips in two gallons of water for several days. Then simmer slowly over very low heat for three or four hours; cool and strain before using. When combining this with the Wormwood spray, add one-half teaspoon of soft soap to a bottle full of the spray to make it stick to the plants better. Insects find the bitter taste of these brews completely unpalatable. Again, if used on any of the butterfly larval food plants, the spray should be thoroughly washed off as soon as the pest infestation is over.

• Chop citrus (Citrus spp.) peels in a blender with water, let stand for several hours, strain, and use on various insect pests. This is a good, all-around spray and may be tried on almost all chewing or juice-sucking insects. It is very strong and, if not diluted sufficiently, can severely burn foliage.

• A mixture of three cloves of garlic, one medium onion, and a teaspoon of hot pepper combined in a blender with a quart of water is an excellent repellent for many insects, including aphids, thrips, and grasshoppers. Let the mixture stand for half an hour or so before straining; then use one part mixture to three or four parts water. These ingredients can also be mixed in a large jar of water and left to steep in the sun two or three days before using.

• Many gardeners have reported phenomenal success with an elixir called bug juice. To prepare this mixture, collect about a cup of the bugs causing the problem (or as many as possible in the case of small insects, such as aphids or mealybugs). Be sure to collect any that look weakened or sick. Place the insects in a blender, using the proportion of one-half cup of bugs to two cups of water, and blend until liquefied. If a blender is not available, mash the insects thoroughly, then add the water, and let set for several hours. Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth, retaining all the liquid possible. Dilute the juice with four to eight parts water, and then use as a spray.

Any juice left over can be frozen for a year or more. In order to get enough insects for this juice, you will have to have a pretty bad infestation. By having some of the proper juice on hand from the previous summer, you can use at the first sign of the insects the following spring, before they become a real problem. This juice can also be prepared using either slugs, snails, or pill bugs; when the liquid is sprayed, poured, or sprinkled around the base of plants, it proves to be a powerful deterrent to these pests.

• For an infestation of mealybugs, dip a cotton swab in alcohol and apply to each insect seen as well as to the axil of each leaf, where the eggs and very young are hidden.

• If nematodes are a serious problem, consistent use of compost and natural fertilizer in the soils should eliminate them. Lime and fish fertilizer make a useful repellent. A teaspoon of sugar sprinkled into the planting hole before setting out plants such as annuals is also helpful.

• Stems and foliage of Common Fennel can be cut into two- or three-inch pieces and scattered in circles around plants as a thin mulch to keep snails away. Pill bugs and sow bugs may be controlled by sprinkling a weak lime solution (two pounds of lime dissolved in five gallons of water) around plants. Sprinkle cornmeal around plants where cutworm damage is apparent; cutworms love the meal, but they cannot digest it and will die from overeating.

THE HEAVIES

If a really terrible insect infestation becomes established in the garden and various natural methods have been tried with no success, then perhaps a consultation with local nursery personnel might be needed concerning the best chemical pesticides to use. Whatever is chosen, try applying a slightly weaker solution than recommended the first time. Keep a close watch on the plants, and as soon as the pests appear to be gone, immediately and thoroughly wash the plant, reducing the chance of any larvae or adult butterflies being harmed.

Perhaps one of the most effective yet least toxic of the really serious insecticides is pyrethrin. This is an extract of the toxins from the dried flowers of a daisylike perennial formerly in the genus Pyrethrum but now known as Chrysanthemum cineraiifolium. Some seed and plant sources now offer seeds of this chrysanthemum, so gardeners can grow their own insecticidal plants, sprinkling the dried, crushed flowers around infested plants. Pyrethrin is especially effective against aphids, thrips, leafhoppers, and many beetles.

Sometimes pyrethrin is used mixed with such chemicals as ryonia and rotenone. Although they are not persistent in the environment, all of these other extracts are extremely toxic and nonselective, killing most things they come in contact with. Any such poison should be used with the greatest caution.

Systemics are the new rage in pesticides today. Systemic poisons are usually placed in the ground around a plant either as a liquid, a powder, or tablets. As the substance dissolves, it is taken up by the roots of the plant and carried into all plant parts. The poisons infiltrate the leaves and stems of the plants as well as the pollen and nectar of the flowers, meaning sure death not only to larvae but adult butterflies as well. Furthermore, if these chemicals are placed in the soil, they will, by the water movement and soil disturbance, be carried to other parts of the garden, eventually contaminating many more plants than the ones they were originally used on. It is my suggestion to leave the systemics at the store.

Another product that should never be used in a butterfly garden is Bacillus thuringiensis, commonly referred to as Bt. This bacterial pathogen works internally, causing paralysis and death within twenty-four hours to all butterfly larvae (and other critters) that eat even a small amount of any part of the plant on which the bacterium has been used. This product is sold in liquid, dust, and granular forms and is marketed under the brand names Dipel, Thuricide, Biotrol, Attact, Bactisphere, and Soilserv Bacillus Bait. Do not use any of these products in a butterfly garden.

FIRE ANT CONTROL

One of the worst enemies to butterfly larvae and chrysalides is the imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Fire ants become established after flying into an area during mating flights, which occur anytime from spring through fall. They can also be brought to the garden in containers of nursery stock or on shared plants from neighbors. If you want to raise butterflies, you simply have to get rid of any and all fire ants anywhere near your plants.

To eradicate fire ants, there are safe, non-chemical ways as well as chemicals specific to fire ants. Fire ants continually move their larvae and the queen about within the mound and in tunnels to regulate their temperatures. Midmorning to early evening is the best time to treat the mound in the spring, for the ants will have the larvae near the top of the mound to receive the warmth of the sun. During the summer months they are near the surface only during the cooler mornings and late evenings. At these times the colony can be destroyed by pouring boiling water on the mound. Use about three gallons per mound, and be sure it is as hot as you can possibly get it. Do not disturb the mound in any way before pouring the water on; in fact, walk up to the mound slowly and quietly. Any earth tremors can send the ants deep within their tunnel, carrying both the queen and the larvae. The queen has to be destroyed to completely eradicate a colony. Oils from citrus peels are very toxic to fire ants. Remove as much of the white inner lining of orange (Citrus sinensis), grapefruit (C. maxima × paradisi), or lemon as possible. Run the outer rind through a blender with enough water to blend nicely. Add more water, and pour this on the fire ant mound. A commercial pesticide containing d-limonene kills ants on contact. An insecticidal soap can also be blended with water and poured on the mound.

IMPORTED FIRE ANTS (Solenopsis invicta) ARE A SERIOUS THREAT TO LARVAE, LIKE THIS JANAIS PATCH (Chlosyne janais) LARVA.

The toxins Pro-Drone and Logic Fire Ant Bait affect only fire ants. Scattered about the mound, the bait is picked up by the ants, carried underground, and fed to the young. The bait is a growth inhibitor; because the young do not develop properly, the colony is eventually eliminated. Although expensive, Amdro Ant Bait is very effective when scattered about the mound.

The latest and most promising weapon may be the imported phorid flies (family Phoridae) from South America. These tiny flies lay their eggs within the ants, and the young fly caterpillars slowly consume the ants’ bodies. Eventually the ant colony is totally eradicated or significantly reduced.

MALACHITE (Siproeta stelenes biplagiata)