I just did a quick search - broom caterpillar -. There were a few hits, one recently in the Butterfly Garden forum had a nice picture of the bug. Other hits had some more advice on how to treat pest caterpillars. This site is great. I would search here, google if need more info to form a plan of action. Or not, I mostly just watch. Except for snails and slugs. They must die. Off topic but I moved an oak leaved hydrangea that was plagued with snail damage, now it has none. The slugs in that area don't know how yummy hydrangea leaves are? The shade in the new spot is better for the plant? Hope it survives its new nemesis, dogs chasing squirrels. Oh, I searched for leaf cutter bees, one article did say they can be a problem if they remove a lot of leaf area. Spraying doesn't work against them as they don't eat the leaves but use it for nesting material, must cover the affected plant. One poster wrote a bee kept putting leaves into her husband's gardening shirt pocket. Think I will have to sit out with my binoculars next spring to try to see one in action. Thanks for the ID on the redbud leaf cutting!

These crickets are literally eating my melon plants down to the ground and killing them. I would have never believed it was crickets unless I went out late at night a few times and witnessed it. Each melon plant will literally have 50 crickets on it and you can hear the munching happening. I can not find where they are nesting/roosting or whatever crickets do. Can anyone help with some ideas for killing these critters in my edible garden?

a neighbor with bourbon??? ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

Don't despair! That plant is not a goner, it will grow back! You might even be amazed at how well it does. Just keep treating it the way you have been, with the exception of leaving it where the dog can get at it. (Isn't it amazing how they can suddenly decide that something they have been ignoring forever is now attractive enough to chomp?) Good luck! Betsy