Pyrethrum based sprays and dusts are very broad spectrum poisons and should only be used as a last resort means of control, not among the first things to use. Maybe the Insecticidal Soap might be effective, but it usually is not if these are the Gypsy Moth larva. If these are leaf chewers something that is very effective is Bacillus thuringiensis - Kurstaki, a bacterium, a disease that will kill leaf eating insect pests and only leaf eating insect pests. The target pest must ingest, eat, this while eating the leaf and the spores grow in that insects gut and stops them from eating and they starve to death. A good means of control is to remove the egg cases from whereever they are in the fall and winter. The Gypsy Moth puts these egg cases every where, I find them on tree trunks, one my trailers, on the side walls of the sheds, and those I find I destroy. Here is a link that might be useful: Gypsy Moth egg cases

I never had that problem. Mold shouldn't grow on planting media and, if it does, it is the manufacturer's fault. What brand/model of planting media are you using? Also, it might be related to organic fertilizer. My advice would be to stop using whatever you are using, start over, and never do business with that manufacturer again. And, if there is a phone number on the bag, I would call and complain. There is a broad spectrum fungicide, Physan 20, that will kill the mold and not hurt the plants much, when used at the correct concentration, but, that is like trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Better to start over and do it right. Incidentally, you should either start your seeds in small cells or final sized pots, one per container, to void subjecting your seedlings to the trauma caused by breaking roots during transplanting. I start my tomato seeds in 4" pots.

They often go without moving for a long period of time when they're in their growing phase, but normally they'll be clinging onto a stem or twig while doing that. I have had caterpillars clinging to a stem get knocked over onto their sides, and they may not bother moving for a long time, but they'll keep hanging on to the stem. When they are getting ready to pupate they attach themselves to something, usually a wall or ceiling, and form themselves into a "J" for a day or so before they split off the caterpillar skin and become a pupa. It looks like this. You can see the loop of thread that they attach themselves with.

How fun! The internet is filled with tons of informative articles about monarch cats -- here's one that gives a nice overview. Even if you don't plan on raising them indoors, you can get a general sense of the cat's/butterfly's life cycle (particularly starting at the paragraph after Pic #5). Just before a cat goes through each (of its five instar -- molt and grow -- phases), it'll generally lie quite still -- sometimes for hours. If there is plenty of food around, in my experience, cats will reach ~ 2" after its fifth instar -- right before it J-loops and turns into a chrysalis. All of my cats (in the yard) will often crawl as far as 40' (across the yard) from the milkweed plant to find a place to chrysalis. Watch where you step, and be careful reaching for pots (they love to hang from pot rims/edges), etc. No telling where they'll end up. 1- How do I know if a bigger caterpillar is still eating if he's not moving much? I don't want to disturb them if they're getting ready to go into chrysalis. Unless you plan on bringing it indoors, I would just leave it alone. There must be something built in biologically that if it sits undisturbed for a certain amount of time, it must be a safe enough place to J-loop and form the chrysalis.