For a more long-term solution, I would suggest planting the edges of your community garden with plants that attracted predator insects (those that eat the pest insects). Great Garden Companions by Sally Cunningham is an excellent book that explains which plants attract which predator insects. I have done this and have had great success. I would also suggest putting up many wren houses in an area near the garden - but not for the wrens. Paperwasps will use the birdhouses for their nests and I have found that paperwasps are the single best destroyer of pest insects. They won't eat everything, but they *completely* control the cabbage worms and leaf miners in my garden. I've watched them eat other pests, but I can't remember which right now. Good luck with your garden, Bellatrix Here is a link that might be useful: Great Garden Companions

Thank you both for helping me! I'm thinking that what I saw on the dill last fall were ladybug larvae. There were tons of adult ladybugs there too. I had no idea that the ladybugs would harm my cats! No wonder you all put the cats in such safe places. Guess I'll be doing that this summer! The only cats I really had before were on parsley on a corner stand on my deck. All three cats were on the parsley when I bought it, and we were so lucky to watch them through all the stages. tdogmom your butterfly site is wonderful! So much information! Thank you so much! Thank you too mssherry! I love the pics!

Yes, they have conducted studies looking at how multi-colored asian ladybugs might affect Monarch populations. They do indeed eat the eggs and small caterpillars. I have also had a green lacewing larva eat a 1st instar pipevine caterpillar. I didn't think anything would eat those guys. But ants, stinkbugs, all kinds of insects eat caterpillars. It is a bug eat bug world out there. -Elisabeth

Without any hint of the kind of plant sharon is finding these insects on, I'd still have to agree with jean about the spotted cucumber beetle. Sharon described it as 'resembling a ladybug, but longer and more narrow'. I wonder what 'kind of yellow and spotted' means, lol!