Friday, September 21, 2007

Warden Shmuley Has Worms!

I like plants. I like vegetable plants and flower plants and all sorts of outside plants, but most of all I like houseplants. Despite my love for houseplants, though, I tend to kill them. It's not entirely my fault; I come from a long line of plant murderers. My mother has killed a series of hanging plants, windowsill plants, and table plants throughout my entire life. I think it's a genetic condition: black thumb.

But every spring and summer I forget this fact and I buy houseplants. This year I bought two -- an aloe plant and a hanging basket Purple Wandering Jew. And I let Ryan name them. The aloe plant is Allie (duh) and the Wandering Jew is Warden Shmuley. Warden because it sort of guards the house by hanging over the sink, right in front of the kitchen window, and Shmuley because in this WASP town I live in, it's the only distinctly Jewish name my daughter knows.
I bought the plant, and determined to let it live no matter the cost, because it was beautiful and lush and combined my favorite color (green) with Ryan's (purple). But sadly, I am afraid its fate is to be met soon. Because the other day, I found this!
Warden Shmuley's leaves are being eaten. When I put him outside a couple weeks ago to get some fresh air, some gnats or something must have gotten to him. So I cut off all the parts with eaten leaves and wished him well. This amputation made him appear a little less lush and full, but I love him despite his disability! But then this morning I awoke to find THIS behind the sink under Warden Shmuley! But what could it be? The answer was disgusting. WORMS! And WORM POOP! Worms just like this one, but blurrier when photographed, on MY HOUSEPLANT SUCCESS STORY!
I found three of them and carried them outside. I went outside in my workout clothes, in the daylight, because I was so eager to save Warden Shmuley. I feel bad for my neighbors since my workout clothes are basically just an old sport bra and a pair of tracksuit pants, but still, this was life or death. I did have the presence of mind to suck my navel back against my spine though, so that was good, although it does nothing for my backfat and I end up looking like I just put on weight really weirdly and unevenly. Hell, what do I care? My neighbors are fat.

So, does anyone know how I can kill these worms, which google tells me are called Yellow Striped Armyworms? I fear them because they are killing my plant, will hatch into something no doubt menacing and capable of flight, probably while I am asleep with my mouth open, and because they seem to produce copious amounts of poop, judging from what they deposited in only one night. And also, the term "Army"worm implies troops, perhaps a troop surge even. I only found three, but there could be more. I could wake up tomorrow to find only a basket of stems covered with worms! Will Shmuley make it? Or will his legacy have to be carried on by his infant son?
You know, I never really looked before, but it seems as if the frog may be doing something naughty to the teddy bear, on the windowsill back there. I should keep better tabs on my knick knacks.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Here's what info I can find (assuming you still need it):
Armyworms and Cutworms are the larvae of nocturnal moths. The caterpillars feed primarily at night and tend to hide in the soil around the plant during the day. I am reading that they can be controlled by insecticides, although you might not want to use such on a houseplant. The caterpillars "cannot tolerate cold" (read: a good freeze will kill them), however, your houseplant probably can't tolerate cold either.

I'd guess you might want to repot the plant and discard the old soil; inspect the plant (roots, stems and leaves) when you repot it and dispose of any worms you find. After that, I think it may be up to Schmuley. Good idea to start a few cuttings in water; no soil for worms to hide in. Keep us posted.

-=cst