LOOPER CATERPILLAR ON BOUGAINVILLEA

[GRACAR]

Thank you, Syd.  I'm pretty confident that it is a leaf cutter bee.  Having read up on it, I shall let it be (excuse the pun) unmolested by me, as I understand it to be a valuable pollinator.  In any case, the damage to the plant seems to have come to a halt, and I think it has cut sufficient for its needs.  I believe I caught a glimpse of one of them, too, which looked very much like one of the bees in the Google line-up.  Thanks again.

[syd]

Greetings,
               Have a peek at Leaf Cutter Bees on google it may just answer your question,
                     regards John.

[GRACAR]

Thank you, I shall try there.  Went out last night with my trusty torch; again early this morning, but didn't see any beasties tucking in (so still don't really know what the culprit is, exactly).  I might take a scalloped leaf along with me.  Thanks again. 

[soosoo]

Ask in the Armoria. Near Mora Oil. They have a lot of treatments for plants/ trees.

[GRACAR]

I planted a lovely double Bougainvillea around 10 days ago (yes, I know it's not the ideal planting time, but I'm a part-timer, here for a couple of months this time, and I wanted to bed it in before I leave it to its own devices).  This is my third attempt at cultivating an 'easy to grow' favourite.  Today, I noticed a heavy chomping around the outside of the leaves and, at first, thought it might be snails.  However, after a little online research, I think it might be something called a 'Looper', more commonly known as an 'Inchworm' (larvae of a moth), active at night.  I need a biological insecticide called Bacillus thuringiensis (or BT for short).  It's a national holiday today, so everything is closed, and I wondered if anyone could recommend where I could get this wonder drug, preferably locally (still not fully au fait with the area).  Anyway, maybe you have your own ideas on treatment.  Looper is apparently very common and, in an established Bougainvillea, will just make it look a bit scraggy but rarely kills the plant.  On a young, unestablished plant like mine, however................!  Any sharing of knowledge would be much appreciated.  Thank you in advance.