Hungry caterpillar

HI all,
Excuse my spelling of this tree.I have an Amamagower tree which has now finished its lovely blossom and i have a clematis now just started to climb up hopefully to prduce lots of flowers.
On my garden walkabout this morning after working nights ( oh how I hate to go to bed when the weather is so nice )I noticed nearly all the leaves on the tree were full of large holes.
I usully suffer from slugs & snails and had protected around the base of the clematis, on futher search i found ONE green caterpillar only 1cm long surely it can't have eated that much.
What is the cure??? Please advise

 

Hmmm, sounds like it could be something like 'winter moth' which has little green caterpillars. I'd spray the whole thing with a decent insecticide..and there are good organic ones available if you're a chemical free zone.
You only saw the one wiggler,but I'd put money on it that he\she\it has many pals hiding!

 

i had those on my willow, they are very fast at devouring leaves, so spray them as soon as poss.

 

Thanks for your advice. I went to look what I had in my garage and found tumble bug hope that will do. I still could not find any more caterpillars but the top of the tree had black fly so still ?? what has munched the leaves.It or they have even had some of my clematis now.Will the birds be ok on things I spray I have blue tits in a box near by?
Jacqui

 

Hi Jacqui

Would that be Prunus Amanagawa the japanese flowering cherry (very narrow tall upright one)
I had one myself at my previous house and the reason aphids like them so much is for the sugary secretions that the leaves exude so you may well find ants going up and down as well, not sure about the holes though? caterpillars would normally eat from the end of a leaf but its a bit high for beatles so the moth larvae sounds about right...problem is blue tits do love those green caterpillars...probably better to wait a couple of weeks until after they have finished feeding young and then give it a spraying

 

OH no I have already sprayed it WOOPS!!

Yes Steve it is an upright flowering cherry thanks for the correct spelling.I have lots of garden books but didnt have time to look it up.
I think this is a great usfeul site for a busy mum like me.
Must log off and get some sleep as on duty tonight
and will want some time in the garden.
Jacqui