I have a couple of old Katalpa trees on my place that were here when I bought it. The trees had not previosly had any worms on them.I wanted worms to fish with so I got some worms off other trees and seeded mine with a couple dozen each time.I will sometimes have them once or twice after each seeding. Then they are gone,I noticed the last time that I seen wasp stinging the worms and killing them on the tree.Could this be why I can't keep them and does anyone know of anything I could do ,or try.Thanks in advance,Jimmy

-- Jimmy Holiday (jholiday@charter.net), April 26, 2001

Answers

The way I understand it some idiot in the goverment brought in the parsitic wasp to help control catapillers on crops. There is some thought that the catalaba tree may be on the way to nowhere. The moth that hatches from the worm after building a cacoon in the ground pollinate the trees flowers. If the worms are killed off completely there is a real chance that unless someting else fills in like the other bugs did for the honey bee the tree may be on the way to extinction. Praise to the for thinking of Uncle Sam.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), April 27, 2001.

I hope you aren't putting tent caterpillars on your trees! These guys practically defoliate all the trees around here when they have a good year. Could be your caterpillars just weren't meant for catalpa trees, which would be why you couldn't keep em. We just sprouted a ton of catalpas. We love 'em! Funny how many different ways of spelling and saying it there are!

-- Elizabeth (Lividia66@aol.com), April 28, 2001.

The worms I put on the trees are the same worms I have been getting off of Catalpa trees all my life,They are Black with charteuse stripes,And they are great fishing bait.

-- Jimmy Holiday (jholiday@charter.net), April 28, 2001.

Haven't even seen a Catalpa since I was a pup a little further south. Here in Maine I'm not sure we even have them, but then we also have no venomous snakes or scorpions. Black flies - yes! And we have mosquitoes that have been mistaken for turkey vultures. Anyway, your description of the caterpillar leads me to believe that you may be sacrificing the larva of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly! They also adore dill, and I always plant twice what I need so there is enough left for the caterpillars. Please check it out. And if you want a disgusting and harmful caterpillar for the best bait extant, try the tomato hornworm. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), May 03, 2001.

We had one of these trees in our yard when I was a child, men would stop and offer to pay my dad for the worms to fish with, the worms seem to be getting rare, I haven't seen one since. Several people that I have asked say their tree don't get the worms any more.

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), May 04, 2001.