Ever since August I have been spraying my Crape Myrtle and my Pygmy Date Palms with a rainwater+neem oil+bath salts (magnesium sulfate) solution to control aphids and fungus, respectively. I have also been spraying other plants with this mixture figuring at the very least it shouldn't hurt them and most probably wouldn't mind the extra magnesium. I know from watching the swallowtail caterpillars (or Orange Dogs as Patty likes to call them) that this doesn't seem to affect them much.

I had read in the past comments made about using Neem Oil to help control CLM damage. But it always came down to using Neem Oil AND Spinosad mixed together. After Mrs. Patty S. informed me that the Spinosad will kill off the swallowtail caterpillars as well, I have been trying to find out if Neem Oil by itself will work, but I haven't seen much to support this practice. Does anyone know, from experience, if using JUST Neem Oil will prevent CLMs from attacking my trees? I am still willing to use Spinosad on my wife's Mandarin tree because she really wants a 'pretty tree', but if I can get away with only using Neem Oil, I will go that route to avoid killing/preventing the swallowtails.