my laurel bush is being eaten!
By Maxibell
United Kingdom 
My laurel hedge is well established and develops new growth rapidly. However it is being eaten by a 'grub' which I hace found on the leaves and is about half an inch long and is black with yellow hoops. Is this the culprit do you think and is this a type of caterpillar? What should I do to get rid of the problem? I don't like killing things but the creature is destroying my hedge!
Many thanks
Margaret Bell
12 Jul, 2009
It looks as if you have three options, Margaret, to pick off the caterpillars by hand, to spray them with bug killer, or to leave them alone.
It's a shame to kill them, as obviously they will become butterflies or moths, but as you say, they are eating your hedge!
I suppose I'd weigh up how much damage they're doing before I decided!
12 Jul, 2009