What the heck are these little white/beige dots on my dil...
What the heck are these little white/beige dots on my dill? An egg sac of some type?
#PestControl
#PestControl
2
@LeadBeebalm77 Welcome to the Greg community! The white, egg-shaped sacs on your dill plant are most likely the eggs of Black Swallowtail butterflies or Anise Swallowtail butterflies. These butterflies are attracted to dill because it's a host plant for their caterpillars. The eggs hatch in about 3-5 days, and the caterpillars will feed on the dill leaves. Here's a more detailed explanation:
Butterfly Eggs:
Dill is a host plant for many butterfly species, particularly the Black Swallowtail and Anise Swallowtail butterflies. These butterflies lay their tiny white eggs on the leaves of dill, both on the underside and on the upper surface.
Caterpillar Development:
Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillars will feed on the dill leaves.
Observe the Change:
If you see the white sacs and also notice small caterpillars on your dill, it's likely that the eggs have hatched.
Consider Removal:
If you're not interested in having the caterpillars feed on your dill, you can manually remove the egg sacs before they hatch.
Beneficial Insects:
In some cases, the white sacs might be the eggs of beneficial insects like tachinid flies, which are parasites of caterpillars.
Hope this helps, Happy Growing!!
Butterfly Eggs:
Dill is a host plant for many butterfly species, particularly the Black Swallowtail and Anise Swallowtail butterflies. These butterflies lay their tiny white eggs on the leaves of dill, both on the underside and on the upper surface.
Caterpillar Development:
Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillars will feed on the dill leaves.
Observe the Change:
If you see the white sacs and also notice small caterpillars on your dill, it's likely that the eggs have hatched.
Consider Removal:
If you're not interested in having the caterpillars feed on your dill, you can manually remove the egg sacs before they hatch.
Beneficial Insects:
In some cases, the white sacs might be the eggs of beneficial insects like tachinid flies, which are parasites of caterpillars.
Hope this helps, Happy Growing!!
Thank you for this wonderfully informative response. ❤️🌱
