I hit them with a pyrethrin based spray, it's the only thing I've found truly effective.

-Marie

I asked this question just about a month ago too. When I googled info on pyrethrin a recipe for a homemade spray came up and the main ingredient is Pyrethrin (or Pyrethrum) Daisies. Just thinking out loud here but I wonder if planting these near the Columbine would have an impact on the worms as opposed to using a spray?
Kristy :)

Here is a link that might be useful: How To Make Pyrethrin Soap Spray

Hey- I remembered that someone said to put rubbing alchohol in a spray bottle for sawflie larve on Mugos- It work for them and the worms on the columbines without hurting the plants! I tried with and without a little dish soap- both worked fine! Very cheaply too! But you do have to spray the worm- which is kinda tough as you have to turn the leaves to get to them- but I do think it works on the eggs of the columbine eaters as well!

Thanks for the tip, Julie! I will definitely be giving this one a try this year.
Kristy :)

Be On the Watch For Columbine Sawfly (includes treatment suggestions)

On my pines' sawflies I use only a little bit of dish soap in a spray bottle of water.

On my pines' sawflies I use only a little bit of dish soap in a spray bottle of water.

I tried this last year on my columbines and it didn't work. I think I used Dawn. Not sure if there is a better dish soap to use to get rid of the buggers...but it does clean dishes well. :)
Kristy

If you sprayed the sawflies it should work. It does on every insect I've tried it with. It won't work to just get it on the foliage. Excuse the repitition if you already knew that.

Depending on their lifecycle, the insecticidal soap may be more effective and it is less toxic than some other things.

If you sprayed the sawflies it should work. It does on every insect I've tried it with. It won't work to just get it on the foliage. Excuse the repitition if you already knew that.

Well, that's why I was wondering if maybe Dawn just isn't strong enough to do this sort of job because I know I lifted leavesd and moved the plant around to spray those little pests! Or maybe I just did not use enough soap. I will try that again before I try the rubbing alcohol. The columbine all look great now!! I just hate seeing how unhealthy the plants look after the sawflies have eaten all the leaves.
Kristy

the caterpillars on the columbine are a duskywing butterfly, a skipper. Use Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) It is a biological control a bacteria that kills only caterpillars. It will kill all butterflies and moth larve.

where can I buy BT to kill caterpillars