cant remember the name of the catterpillar is but if you only have a few pick the affected leaves off. They will do quite a bit of damage if y bay tree is anything to go by!

welcome to GoY too:o)

Thanks!

Ok I think I will take off all the damaged leaves (actually there are quite a lot of them) and put them in a bowl with the caterpillars, so they can carry on eating without damaging the tree.

Thanks for your welcome!

Hello Fuzexi!

What do the caterpillars look like? Sweet bay trees/shrubs etc are usually bug free, though very occasionally susceptible to fungal leaf spot. Could it just be a hibernating spot for a moth or butterfly that will eat something else?! Are the caterpillars actually eating the leaves of your bay (type please if not sweet bay) or are they just using them to hibernate in?

You need to identify the caterpillar to decide your actions, as the moth/butterfly could also be useful to the garden.

Sorry for not replying, I'm not used to blogging on this site, and for a while I even forgot the name of it. Anyway, I hope to make amends and blog more... there is a picture of the caterpillar in the photo, although it is small and out of focus. I had only my mobile to take the picture at the time. Anyway, all the caterpillars are gone now, and the tree is doing fine. Thanks for your responses everyone!